


Emerald

by Cosmicpull



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Bondage and Discipline, F/F, Friends With Benefits, Hurt/Comfort, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Light Bondage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-21 14:43:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21076592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmicpull/pseuds/Cosmicpull
Summary: Kara's desire to submit and Lena's crave for power puts them in an ideal situation. Complex feelings and slight angst ahead.Also, new at this fanfic writing thing and summaries are really hard.





	1. Overpowered

It was a miracle that the rustic and expensive analog clock didn’t crack under the sheer intensity of her gaze. When the minute-hand struck twelve, the clock softly clicked twice, indicating that it was two o’clock. The subtle clicks were like two wooden chopsticks tapping on each other, accompanied by even softer sounds of moving gears.

As demanding as she could be, the CEO understood that she cannot expect _ everything _ to go her way. But Lena had no control over her simmering blood that was a second away from turning into a rolling boil, or the anticipation that she had been trying to suppress the entire morning. She relaxed in her office chair, crossing her legs into a comfortable position as she nibbled mindlessly on her thumbnail – an old habit she thought she had kicked. 

_ There must be a reason. _

And the reason was there, right on the television screen. Supergirl could be seen in the background handling the criminals to the NCPD. She had just stopped three armed robbers midway of their looting spree and was basking in the cheers and applause awarded to her by the growing crowd. 

_“This is Caitlin Miller from CatCo Worldwide Media. It is now 2:02 PM and I am reporting live from Keefer Place Plaza.” _

Supergirl’s soured expression could be seen on live TV. Super-speeding into the frame, Kara flashed a megawatt smile at the camera before acknowledging the reporter, “I’m sorry, what time did you say it was?”

“It’s 2:02 PM… now 2:03.” Caitlin cast a look of confusion at the hero.

And in just a split of a second, the fearless protector transformed into a panic-stricken mouse, her gaze darted around the street as if searching for a means of escape.

“While you’re here, Supergirl, we would love to talk to you abo-”

“Oh, I’m really sorry… Caitlin, right? That’s your name? I can hear an old lady calling for help, like right now. I have to go. Bye!” Kara’s voice tapered into nothing as she flew away, leaving poor Caitlin and her crew dumbfounded. 

Chuckling at the entire exchange, Lena muted the television and set the remote controller where she found it. And when she turned around, she could have sworn she saw Supergirl _ panting. _

“Hi.” Lena said while smiling, not wanting to sound too cold, or angry. 

“I’m sorry.” Kara apologized. She opened her mouth again in attempts to find the words to explain herself, but Lena’s death stare made her feel like her throat was closing up.

“Well, you should be.” Lena cut her off and Kara tensed at the coldness. “You just called me an old lady on live television.”

_ Thank Rao _.

Lena stepped towards the blonde, “Do you need a breather? I can wait.” 

“No! I mean no, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Lips pursed and gaze dipped, Kara flushed a subtle pink when she caught herself sounding too eager. 

"Okay then," Lena pulled her mobile phone from the pocket of her chic, black, blazer. She set the timer to 60 minutes but did not press start. “Can you draw the curtains?” The question was more of a command. 

Kara simply nodded.

“Use your words, Supergirl. It’s been months. You haven’t learned.” Her words cut through the air like an icicle. 

“Yes.” The gallant superhero suddenly seemed so small.

“Yes?” Lena cocked her head to one side, her eyes narrowed as she looked directly into Kara’s eyes. 

“Yes, Miss Luthor.” 

“Good girl.” Lena settled into her office chair while Kara walked the length of the room to ensure not a single ray of sunlight could filter its way through the highly opaque curtains. Full discretion was definitely needed for what was about to happen next. 

When she was done, she positioned herself to face the Luthor, just inches away from her desk. She clasped her hands behind her, feet slightly apart, as if she was a soldier reporting for duty, practiced and disciplined. 

“Ready?” 

“Yes, Miss Luthor.”

“Good girl.” Lena tapped on her phone, and the timer started to count down. “Strip for me.” 

The instruction, short and precise, took Kara almost three full seconds to register. She shrugged off any hesitation and raised her hands to first remove her cape, which she let fall onto the floor with a loud thud. Her boots came off next, and then the skirt and suit. Her thumbs found the waistband of her underwear and she took a gander at the Luthor, who gave her a slight nod, before pulling it downwards completely. 

Kara could already feel a tinge of arousal as the cool air skimmed across her warm body. But she wasn't done yet. She folded every piece of clothing with precision and stacked them neatly on the white desk, part of Lena's requirements for all of their sessions.

There, practiced and disciplined.

Eighty seconds had passed. Lena didn’t spare a second to blink. Instead, she spent a few more running her eyes up and down, appreciating the hero’s exquisitely built body. She could very well be a goddess forged from gold, or a meteoroid that had, by the slimmest of chances, entered this Earth’s atmosphere, landing here at National City after being carved into perfection by the force of gravity. 

Kara could feel Lena’s gaze lurking, her eyes undressing her for the second time. Not exposing her already bare skin but her soul, her inner thoughts, and all of her feelings. She stood as still as she could under the unwanted attention, afraid that she might earn herself a punishment for the slightest squirm.

Lena could look at this fine specimen, primed and ready for her taking, for the rest of her life. But they were on a clock and senseless staring wasn't the best use of time. She opened the middle drawer of the pedestal next to her, grabbing everything that was needed, before closing it carelessly with her right foot.

“Come here.” Lena demanded as she spun herself sideways on her rolling chair, placing the clanging pieces of metal on her desk. Kara made her way around the desk and turned around when Lena signaled with a twirl of her index finger.

Kara felt Lena pulling one of her wrists, and then a hard, cold piece of metal stung her skin, sending mini shockwaves through her veins. The cuff made a short hissing sound when Lena locked it.

Lena liked the perfect posture. The way Kara's back arched slightly whenever her wrists were bound behind her - like an assiduous ballerina. She could take it up a notch - tying a piece of cloth around her elbows and tightening it until Kara couldn't physically handle it anymore. But of course, that would require a powerless Supergirl. Maybe next time.

With a firm yet careful push on her back, Lena led Kara to the single-seater couch. The undressed woman lowered herself slowly onto the couch, her back straightened and tensed as she felt the cool leather on her hot skin. 

Lena knelt down in front of Kara, and the blonde visibly gasped at the yielding position Lena had put herself in. But her ankles quickly met the same fate as her wrists, each of them bounded to the front legs of the chair she struggled to stay still in.

“Don’t even think about breaking this chair, Supergirl.” Lena warned playfully and Kara blushed. If she had to compensate Lena for all the furniture that she had unwittingly cracked, broken, and crushed, she'd probably end up bankrupt.

And as a businesswoman, Lena naturally had to make economic decisions. Replacing the foundation of some of her furniture, like couches and beds, with the strongest metal known to man – Nth metal - sounded like a viable plan. Also because Jess was already suspicious about the amount of money Lena had spent on ‘redecorating’ her office and apartment. 

Her contractor did raise his suspicions though. When Mr. Gonzales asked the Luthor why exactly she needed_ indestructible _ furniture, all she could come up with was a lousy explanation of how much she wanted to preserve them, to which he shrugged off as a blatant lie, but he knew better than to question the CEO.

Kara’s nervousness was apparent in her silence and her stiff posture. Lena stood back up when she was sure that the superhero had no ways of escaping and she strutted sensually around the couch.

Placing her hands on broad shoulders, she pulled them back gingerly. She had to fight an initial resistance, but Kara complied quickly. Lena peered down when Kara finally had her back against the white leather couch.

“Feels good?” Lena applied pressure to where her hands were, massaging the tense muscles beneath her palms.

“Yes, Miss Luthor. Thank you.” Kara breathed. 

Lena smirked at Kara’s disciplined reply. It had always turned her on – how submissive the city’s strongest woman could be. She knew Kara could easily turn the tables; the hero could overpower her with a flick of her pinky and have her bounded in these shackles instead. But she knew Kara wanted this. In fact, Kara loved it.

Lena’s voice lowered to a deeper, sultry one as she bent forward to whisper into Kara’s ear “Why so nervous, Supergirl? It’s not like we haven’t done this before.”

The warm air on Kara’s ear was foreplay on its own. “We’ve never done this in your office, Miss Luthor.” 

_ Right _ . The office definitely didn’t seem like the ideal place to hold meetings of _ such _ nature. Unfortunately, Lena’s penthouse was undergoing a thorough cleaning due to a minor miscommunication between Jess and Mrs. Montez, leaving Lena with no choice but to improvise. 

“It’s safe here. Okay? Just relax and let me handle the rest.” 

Being the obsessive planner that she was, Lena had made several adjustments for the unexpected but very manageable hiccup. 

The doors were locked and even though Jess had the passcode to open them, she had been instructed clearly to not interrupt Lena for the entire hour, and the walls were already soundproof before the L Corp building was reconstructed. The CEO had also disabled the CCTVs in the office and there was no one in the company with access to override Lena’s controls over the profound monitoring system.

Lena's hands traveled south to cup breasts that fit perfectly in her palms. She massaged them for a while, drawing out quick, shallow breaths from the fidgeting hero. Kara’s sighs of relief ended in a sharp hitch when Lena pinched the hardened nubs.

Lena stopped abruptly and Kara arched her back slightly at the loss of Lena’s teasing. 

“Do you trust me?”

“Always, Miss Luthor.” 

A black cloth appeared out of nowhere, Lena dangled it in front of her before wrapping it around her eyes. Kara wondered if Lena had forgotten about her x-ray vision.

_ Oh. This is new. _

Her x-ray vision worked almost immediately, a strange reflex that accompanied the vision loss. It looked like static on a television, millions of tiny black dots blocking the sunlight infiltrating the thick fabric.

“Blindfold with hundreds of thousands of lead particles stitched onto the cloth.” Lena flaunted proudly, like she would when presenting any of L Corp’s cutting-edge tech. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

She felt a little stupid holding two fingers in front of Kara.

“Uhm- I can see shadows… But nothing more.”

“Okay. If you can see, that would be cheating, and you will be punished. Do you understand?” Lena warned.

“Yes Miss Luthor, I understand.” Kara bit her bottom lip at the thought of being disciplined.

“Good girl. I’ll make you happy today.” 

“No, Miss Luthor.” Kara murmured as she hung her head low, the masochist in her threatening to make an appearance. “I was late today.” 

“Hmm, so you want to be punished?” There was a tone of pleasant surprise in her voice.

“Yes, Miss Luthor. I- I deserve it.”

“All right then.” Lena returned to the front of the chair. Raising both hands to cup Kara’s face, Lena drew soft circles on her cheeks with her thumbs. She could feel the blonde sinking into her loving caresses and it was a sure sign that Kara was completely relaxed.

Lena steadied herself with her hands on strong, muscular thighs as she lowered herself into a kneeling position on the ground – again, not exactly ‘_ dominant’ _ like, but necessary for the torture she was about to put Kara through – and she could already see a wet patch forming on the material of the couch, just below Kara’s center.

Lena leaned forward suddenly to roughly suck a nipple, catching the blonde by surprise. Kara jerked and moaned loudly at the shock of the initial sensation, the noises coming out of her spurred Lena on and she sucked harder and licked aimlessly on silky skin. She flexed her tongue as she flicked erratically on the stiff bud, sending shockwaves of pleasure straight down to Kara’s core.

Lena ran her hands up and down Kara’s thighs as she switched her attention to the other straining nub. Pure ecstasy infiltrating her skull and Kara’s hips started to move on its own, begging for any sort of attention that Lena would kindly provide. When Lena bit down harshly on her nipple, Kara lurched forward involuntarily, causing Lena to fall backward. Unfortunately, the Luthor was quick to brace herself on the ground behind her.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Le- Miss Luthor.” Kara stilled herself, not wanting to make another potentially harmful move. “Did I hurt you?” 

“No, it’s fine Kara. I’m fine.” Lena broke out of character for a while, calling the blonde by her real name instead of her alias. “Next time, I would have to secure your hips as well.” 

Her cheeks burned at the thought of being completely restrained and vulnerable. It sounded so good, so… _ kinky _. And a different kind of arousal coursed through her entire body. The moan that came out of her surprised even herself when she felt a warm, flat tongue stroke against her aching mound. There were no follow-ups to that single stroke and she defiantly raised her core, in hopes of meeting Lena's soft tongue once more. 

“Stay still, or we’ll stop.” Lena loved using this threat, but she knew very well that nothing short of a fire could rob her of the chance at torturing Kara like this.

“I’m sorry, Miss Luthor.”

This time, Lena flexed tongue, running the tip gently back and forth on the hardened bundle of nerves. The high pitched moan that escaped Kara’s throat sounded so _ dirty _. Lena was starting to get distracted. 

“Miss Luthor, please…” Kara begged urgently, using every Kryptonian willpower she had to still herself; it felt impossible to not roll her hips into Lena’s hot, wet mouth. 

“Please what?” Lena teased through muffled words as she continued her torment. 

“Ple- uhmmm, yesss,” Kara threw her head back, “Please m-make me…” 

“Hold it, Supergirl.” Lena straightened herself, leaning forward to remove the blindfold so she could see how dark and desperate those blue eyes had become. She wanted to see the look of Supergirl when she came undone. She _ needed _ to see, in flesh and blood, the power she had over the superhero, the way Kara willingly submitted to her; to Lena Luthor. 

Kara breathed deeply in futile attempts to cool herself down as Lena resumed drawing slow and almost painful circles on her now very stiff and swollen nub with the tip of her scalding tongue.

She had to learn how to take mental cold showers, especially for situations like this, where physical release wasn't an option, but a reward. She would fill her mind with totally random, insignificant thoughts like her training schedule at the DEO, what movies she wanted to watch on Friday nights or just things that she’d come across in the day. 

Her mind refocused into how the Atlantic Ocean looked so green today as she steered a little off-course from her usual patrols. The glistening, emerald-colored sea gleamed as the Sun shone directly above it. She always loved emerald… Maybe because they remind her of Lena’s eyes; eyes that were staring at her intently as she was being- 

_ H oly f- _

“Please, Miss Luthor! I can’t hold it much longer.” Kara was on the edge of combustion.

“Countdown from 10, and I’ll let you.”

“Ten, nine, eight...” Each number was being punctuated by a gasp, a moan, or desperate cries of help. The anticipation was becoming unbearable and Kara thought that she might _ die _, “three, tw-“

“Stop.” Lena withdrew her tongue instantly.

Kara let out a guttural cry, one that echoed the entire room and could have been heard from the other end of the building if not for the soundproof walls.

The timing was _ perfect. _ An incessant ringing started to play on Lena’s mobile phone. Just like that, an hour had passed. Lena pressed several buttons on the mini, silver controller. The cuffs all hissed at the same time as they opened up for Kara to free her limbs.

“You’re mean.” Kara pouted as she rubbed her slightly sore wrists.

Lena smirked, “You asked to be punished, didn’t you?” Lena placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder to give it a soft squeeze as the hero brushed past her. “Also, do not finish yourself off later.”

“Hey,” Kara frowned, “now you’re _ really _ mean.”

Lena laughed. “Fine, you can. But just so you know, it’d make me _ really _ happy if you don't get off till our next one.” 

Shaking her head at the insatiable woman, Kara super sped into her suit and approached the balcony. “See you around, Lena.” She kicked off from the ground, making her way back home, increasingly annoyed that her core was still feeling the heat and she wanted more than anything to relieve herself.

When she landed back home she tore off her cape and straddled the nearest pillow she could get her hands on. She started off slow, but soon the bed was squeaking rhythmically to her rough grinding.

One of the perks of living alone, you can be as loud as you want.

As she approached the peak of her pleasure, something stopped her. At the back of her mind was the thought of getting rewarded by Lena Luthor for being the good girl that she was and how proud she could make her if she stopped herself right now.

_ No, hell no. _

Kara needed to release all the pent up tension or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else for the entire week. It had happened before and she'd suffered terribly. Articles half-written, movies unfinished, Kara simply couldn’t function like a normal person while a harrowing ache sat in between her legs.

So she stopped her movements, switching to a more effective method. Kara threw the pillow across the room and tore her suit halfway down her body. A hand snaked downwards to find a thoroughly soaked underwear, which she pulled aside mindlessly as she started rubbing small, tight circles on that sensitive nub. 

_ Bzzt bzzt. _

Her phone lit up on the nightstand; Kara tried her best to ignore it. 

_ Bzzt bzzt. _

“UGH.” Kara yanked her hand out of the suit, admitting defeat. She rolled over to the nightstand to pick up the source of her annoyance.

_ Lena Luthor: Slipped my mind _ … _ I’ll be away on a business trip. Probably a couple of weeks. _

_ Lena Luthor: Let’s meet again on Sunday, 8 PM? My place ;) _

Twice in a week. Unprecedented.


	2. I'm Only Kryptonian

As a full-time reporter and savior of the city, boredom was certainly something Kara didn't expect to experience. But there she was, dangling in utter incompetence in the air, listening for soft purrs and desperate meows so she could come to the rescue of National City's bravest cats. There were a few almost-accidents the hero had prevented, and a lucky family had the opporunity of witnessing Supergirl work her way around an IKEA cabinet. 

The last time she engaged in such trifling activities was when Kara recovered from Red K exposure. It was an agonizing, hellish couple of weeks. And the hero was just glad that this time, it wasn’t the case of redeeming herself and proving her worthiness.

The old man’s wavering gait gave Kara anxiety, and the blinking green man only served as a ticking time bomb. She turned to face the drivers, smiling and nodding in gratitude as she helped the gray-haired man cross the road. 

“Seriously?” She hissed when loud honks blared.

The vehicles growled alive behind her and the old man when they’d finally made it to the other side of the road. Kara took off, pleased with herself.

“Still nothing?” She spoke through the comms.

“Are you hoping for something bad to happen?” Kara had expected a reply from Alex but it was J’onn’s flinty voice that came through.

“Nope, no sir.”

Even the agents back at the DEO were slacking it off. Some were engaged in a serious discussion over a new video game called ‘Aliens vs Humans’ – an extremely distasteful game title in Kara’s opinion – and others were either pretending to work or alternate-tabbing between movies and emergency alert maps.

“Brainy!” Kara exclaimed when she caught sight of the 12th level intellect from across the concourse. “What are you up to?”

“Supergirl, I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” Brainy deadpanned, “Sorry, I have been consuming too many Harry Potter movies and I must say, they are delightful. On a serious note, I am still trying to locate and collect the remaining red sun torches from Ben Lockwood’s followers. So far, it seems that we have successfully seized all of them.”

“Oh.” A frown plagued her face when memories of last year’s event unfolded in her mind.

Brainy had been assigned to detect any sources of red sun radiation ever since the Children of Liberties had been passing out red sun torchlights to everyone in National City to take out Earth’s most powerful alien. 

Even when the government finally reinstated the Alien Amnesty Act, avid followers of Lockwood were still carrying the torches with them, roaming the streets and hunting for Supergirl. To Kara, gliding down the streets to see crimson flashes of light wasn’t just an act of rebellion, it was a personal attack. 

Fortunately, the DEO was tasked by the president to collect all red sun torches so that Supergirl could still save people without worrying about losing her powers mid-flight.

“On an even more serious note,” Brainy snapped Kara out of her thoughts, “Nia’s birthday is in exactly seven days, nine hours, and forty-three seconds, forty-two, forty-one-” his voice diminished into a whisper.

“And you need help choosing a gift?” Kara chimed in.

“Yes!” His eyes widened in awe. “Exactly. Oh, I might have underestimated your level of intellect, Supergirl.”

Kara chuckled, “Well, I’m sure you know what she likes more than I do.”

“Wait. Are you suggesting that I present her with something as unimportant as tickets to a two-hour long movie screening or a shiny necklace? Because I for one know that Nia Nal loves spending time watching, or rather, bawling, over romantic movies and I have also counted up to six distinct chains around her neck since the day I met her.”

“Brainy, that’s sweet.” Kara paused, realizing that she somehow knew the different shades of lipstick color that Lena wore.

“It is? Okay. That settles it then. I had thought of getting far more practical gifts like an ultra-powered coffee machine or a heavy-duty dishwasher.”

Her nose scrunched up and she shook her head in disapproval, “Stick with the movie and jewelry. She’ll love it.”

“Thank you, Supergirl. Farewell, then.” Brainy turned on his feet but a strong tug on his elbow snapped him back to the blonde.

“Wait, Brainy.” Something clicked in her mind, “Where do you keep the stuff from Ben Lockwood and his people?” 

“Ah. Fret not, Supergirl, they have been locked away right here in the DEO. Only the director, Agent Danvers, and I have access to that particular storeroom. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go.” 

“Wait! Brai-”

“Kara, there you are.” Alex strolled in wearing a lab coat and blue gloves. We’re long overdue for your weekly blood sample. Peter from R&D is on my back. Let’s go.”

Alex shot Kara a look, urging her to follow, and the hero obliged. The two entered the only medical room that had a red sunlight bulb installed on the ceiling. Kara felt herself get weaker instantly, noticing that Alex had the intensity cranked up as the room illuminated a richer red than usual.

“Woah, are you trying to kill me?” Kara said, pretending to be disturbed.

“If I tried, you’d be dead by now. Did I mention being hounded by R&D? Now sit tight and-” The older Danvers sister picked up a sterilized syringe from the metal tray, then the room dimmed for a moment, and suddenly, red blinked out and a bright white light restored the room to its original hue. “Oh, come on!”

She dropped the syringe back onto the plate and stood up swiftly. “Wait here, I’ll check it out in the main room.”

“Alex,” Kara called out, “wouldn’t it be faster to grab one of Lockwood’s toys?”

“Right. You’re a genius.” 

_ Damn right I am. _Kara beamed at herself. The gears in her brain turning and squeaking as she spontaneously devised a master plan for her heist.

The light was from the torch was stronger than she had expected, but after about five minutes of waiting – and trying tirelessly to poke Kara with the syringe – Alex was finally able to get the needle to penetrate the Kryptonian’s skin. 

The hero winced at the feeling of her skin being ruptured. It wasn’t due to pain; it was just the utter unfamiliarity of it all. It stung differently each time, the foreign sensation of an endurable prick, and the bizarre sear left on her skin after Alex was done. 

The agent scurried away after telling Kara to turn off the torch and only to leave when she completely regained her powers. And there she was, alone in the room with a very susceptible red sun torch. It was almost too easy.

Though she wasn’t sure if she could fly yet, Kara decided that it was safer to leave as soon as possible if she wanted to successfully steal – no, borrow – the DEO property. She quickly grabbed the torch and hid it behind her, making full use of her very large cape. 

“Thanks, Alex.” Kara intoned in a whisper, smiling cheekily as she walked away. 

She was supposed to be making her nightly rounds, but somehow the hero never found herself straying too far from the Luthor’s penthouse. Circling back for the fourth time, a soft, yellow light flickered alive, radiating from Lena's balcony and extending to Lena’s bedroom. It was barely 8 PM.

The light battering in her chest amplified to a strenuous pounding at the thought of Lena stepping into the shower after a long day at work. It was probably what the Luthor was doing at this very moment. Checking the accuracy of her assumption was simple, except that it was also a violation of privacy. She bit the inside of her bottom lip as she hesitated. And it took every ounce of reticence and self-control to turn away.

8:12 PM. Why was time crawling? Kara was in orbit of the penthouse once again.

_ Bzzzzt. _

‘_ I can see you, you know? _’ A text from Lena Luthor.

_ Crap. _

Wrapped in a cream-colored kimono, Lena stood there with damp hair, the dried flyaways fluttering gently with the wind. One hand holding her phone, and the other bearing a glass of wine in true Luthor fashion.

“What are you doing out here?” Lena raised an eyebrow at the hero.

“Erm… I- It’s still early.” Kara uttered.

“Come in, silly.” 

Kara followed closely behind Lena, taking in the fresh flowery scent of her washed hair. Lena set her wine glass and phone down on the coffee table, then she turned around to help free Kara of her cape. She did it with ease.

“You’re an expert now.” Kara grinned.

“Well, practice makes perfect.” The first time Lena tried removing the ridiculously weighty cape ended up in her working her arm muscles and Supergirl still in her full outfit. The thick cloak tucked ingeniously in the blue suit required a more delicate touch to remove. Pulling it out by force will not cause it to budge, but peeling it away slowly and meticulously would. 

“How long will you be away?” Kara asked, reaching behind to catch the cape before Lena had to bear the entire weight of it. Then her hands autopiloted as they folded the cape into a neat square. 

“Hmm, about two weeks if everything goes smoothly.” 

“Oh. Is this for the new project you have with Jack?” Kara remembered Lena briefly mentioning the Biomax project.

“Yes, it is.”

“Jack, as in your ex-boyfriend?”

“Yes…” Lena narrowed her eyes and her lips curved into a smirk, “Is this bothering you, Kara?”

As if a child getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar, Kara's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at Lena’s teasing. “W-what, no! Of course not. I was just curious.”

That made the Luthor giggle. “Jack invited me to Dubai to help review the project and make some final tweaks to his nano-tech. I didn’t know how I could help but when I read the bio mechanisms in detail, I thought it’ll be fun to finally step away from the business side of L Corp and get the science-y part of my brain to start working again.” 

It was mesmerizing. How Lena’s green eyes burned brighter as she talked about her passions. The way her hands gestured exaggeratedly as she eloquently expressed her thoughts into rational words that sometimes Kara had trouble understanding.

“Well, I hope you come back soon. I’m not sure L Corp could stand losing their CEO for weeks.” 

Lena scoffed, “L Corp definitely can… But can you?” Lena stared straight into blue eyes.

“Me? What about me?” Of course, Kara’s go-to solution – feigning ignorance.

“I am asking,” A single step towards Kara brought their faces closer, just inches apart, “are you able to tolerate not having me around you, for say, two weeks?”

Kara gasped softly, averting her gaze to the space behind Lena instead, “Work is important. You of all people should know that, _ Miss Luthor _ . As much as I would love having you close, I will not impose.”

Everything about that answer pleased Lena. She was getting impatient.

“Are you ready, Supergirl?” Lena reached for her phone, her fingers tapped away to set up the timer as usual.

“Yes, Miss Luthor.” Kara breathed.

Lena grabbed one of Kara’s hands, leading her to the other end of the hall. There was a chaise, one that she'd never seen before, placed diagonally across the white marble floor. The antique piece stood out strangely in the apartment's relatively modern design.

“A gift from a client. It’s way too prehistoric for my tastes but it does look pretty.” Lena explained as she settled into it. Even the way she sat had a sensual vibe to it.

“Stand in front of me.” The command echoed through the vast living room.

“Yes, Miss Luthor.”

“You know what comes next,” The dark-haired woman drawled, “get on with it, slowly.”

She lifted both hands to reach behind her, finding the hidden zipper of her suit and pushing it down as far as her flexibility allowed her to. Kara dropped her arms and reached behind again to pull the zipper all the way down to the base of her spine. 

Peeling the suit away, Kara reveled in the way Lena looked at her with pure lust and hunger. She couldn’t miss with her keen hearing, the slight hitch that had escaped Lena’s throat upon realizing that the hero wasn’t wearing underneath that skin-tight outfit. 

“Naughty,” Lena whispered as she shook the reverence away. Kara couldn’t help but smile. “So, did you get yourself off after our previous session?” 

“Umm… Well…” Kara’s gaze dipped to the ground but quickly shot back up to meet darkened green eyes when Lena instructed her to. The hero decided to be honest, “I grinded against my pillow, but didn’t finish.”

Lena frowned, “Why not?”

“I thought about you, Miss Luthor.” Her voice trembled in shame.

Lena was of course, impressed, and incredibly proud. Proud that she was able to control Kara outside of their stipulated hour, and amazed by how submissive her best friend actually was. It was like they were perfectly made for this… this _ type _of relationship. Lena could always satiate her power-hungry desires with Kara’s inclination to submit.

“Kneel.” 

“Y-yes, Miss Luthor.” Kara got down on one knee quickly, and then two, before resting on the balls of her heels. It felt like an impending doom looming over her. Was she going to be punished anyway?

Lena's eyes never left the hero. She bent forward, freeing the cushion she had been resting her back on. She threw the cushion in Kara’s direction, careful to not let the action seem too disrespectful. It landed on the ground, sliding for a short distance before stopping at Kara’s knees.

“Show me.” 

It took Kara a while to register what was asked of her. A hand moved to grip the cushion. It was made of the same material and color as the chaise, a deep royal blue, velvety and extremely soft to the touch. The texture braids on its edge, however, were stiff and rough. 

Kara was hesitant. There was no way she could talk Lena out of this. Despite her spectacularly toned body - a result of combat trainings and a preposterously efficient metabolism - it had taken the self-assured hero a while to be comfortable getting naked under bright lights. But this was a whole new level. Still, she gave in to the deep-seated need of wanting to please the Luthor. Slowly dragging the cushion along the floor, Kara placed it perfectly under her, clasped in between her strong thighs. She could already feel herself ruining this fine piece of fabric.

The first thrust of her hips was controlled. Kara pulled her hips back and did it again, and again, at a steady consistent pace. She bit down hard on her lip to suppress any indecent whines that might slip.

Lena wasn't having it. "Are you this quiet at home?" She snapped.

"I'm sorry, Miss Luthor."

"Close your eyes. Pretend I'm not here. If it makes you comfortable." Her expression softened. 

Kara did exactly what she was told to do. Inhaling a deep breath and shutting her eyes, she took herself back to the day she last met the Luthor. She imagined herself in the safety of familiar walls, ravaging the same pillow, riding at the same speed and intensity.

Lena enjoyed every minute of this – Kara shy and unwilling, but still dripping and yearning for release. A moan left the hero's gaping mouth, her shallow breaths were like music and the look of pure pleasure on her face was like art. Kara was the one masturbating, but it was Lena who felt like imploding.

“May I come, Miss Luthor?” Kara brought herself back to reality.

“Thirty more seconds, keep moving.”

“Yes… Miss Luthor.” Kara sighed in disappointment and frustration.

She continued grinding, mentally counting to thirty while trying hopelessly to not tip over the edge. Before she could ask for permission again, she opened her eyes to search for Lena’s, who acknowledged her unspoken request with a nod. 

She increased her speed, her hands pressing down harshly to keep the cushion in place as her hips moved relentlessly. She was starting to lose friction due to her thick, wet arousal, but a single stroke against the rough braid caused her to scream and grunt as she ascended and plummeted from the peak.

“Thank you, Miss Luthor,” Kara breathed.

“Good girl.” Lena got off the chaise and approached the kneeling girl, stretching a hand out as a signal for her to stand. Lena quickly offered another hand when she saw Kara, a Kryptonian with actual superpowers, struggling to get back on her feet from the intensity of her latest orgasm. 

She quickly collected herself, and when she regained consciousness of her surroundings, all Kara could notice were stiff nipples that were almost visible through Lena's very, _very_, thin kimono. As if her prayers were being heard, Lena pushed the robe off of her shoulders, letting it fall inaudibly onto the floor. All that was left was a lacy see-through underwear. 

“Uh- Lena.”

“What is it, Kara? Are you okay?” Lena worried for a moment. First names weren't usually a good sign during their sessions. It meant that something felt off for either one of them.

“Yes, yes I am.” The hero smiled at the concern. “I uhm- I have something for you. I need to get it from my suit.”

“Kara, if you have a gift, you can always give it to me later.” Lena smiled playfully.

“Um, no. It’s something you might want to use right now.” 

Before she could mutter an ‘okay’, Kara was already off and back with a small black baggie in her hands. “What’s this?” Lena asked as she took the mysterious gift from Kara.

“Open it.”

When Lena did, she realized that it was a flashlight, just shorter in length and wider in girth as compared to the usual one. “Okay, there’s a switch at the bottom.”

Lena saw the button before Kara pointed it out to her; she turned the torch on, and her eyes widened instantly when a red light beamed from her hands. Instinctively, she pointed the torch away from Kara. Her mind processed quicker than she could form words.

“Kara, is this…”

“A red Sun torch. I sto- borrowed it from the DEO.” She'd return it. Kara told herself.

“Oh.” Lena blinked twice, her tongue pushed at the corner of her upper lip as she contemplated. “Is it okay if we use it next time?”

That was… strange. Kara had imagined a more... enthusiastic response? She thought having a powerless Supergirl in the palm of her hands would be considered a major turn on to the domineering woman.

"Okay." She shrugged her bewilderment off and Lena led her into the bedroom. 

The yellow street lights filtered through the translucent curtains beautifully, making a laced pattern on the Luthor’s white bedsheets. She couldn’t help but wonder if Lena had expected her to stay the night and if the translucent curtains were meant to allow sunlight into the room in the morning as her first dose of energy. 

“I really, _ really, _want to feel good today.” Lena leaned in, her arms slithered and wrapped around Kara’s waist as she whispered in a low voice. “Can you do that? Supergirl?”

Lena’s sultry voice sent electricity downwards; the tingling sensation in the pits of her stomach was back again, and Kara gladly obliged, “Anything for you, Miss Luthor.”

Lena dropped herself on the bed, her full breasts bobbed ever so slightly at the impact. With both hands, she scooted backward slowly, keeping her knees close. The act of demureness had an opposite effect on Kara. 

When she reached the end of the bed, Lena spread her legs open as a form of invitation for the starving girl in front of her. A sly smile formed on her face, as if she could see Kara combusting on the inside.

And Kara almost did. Her knees weakened at the sight of the astoundingly beautiful woman. The soft lights draped over her body, accentuating all the curves and edges that made her the flawless being that she was. So human, yet so extraordinary. 

Her eyes flitted between Lena’s purposefully raised center and her blackened eyes. Kara crawled onto the bed, bringing herself closer to where she wanted to be. She slid her arms under creamy thighs, adjusting herself to the perfect position to devour the woman in front of her.

The hero first planted light, soft pecks on the lacy fabric; occasionally using her tongue to drag up and down the heated mound. A protested groan followed when Kara stopped for a while to remove the offending garment. But she quickly compensated with harder, more passionate kisses on the glistening skin. The faint moans and hitched breaths leaving Lena’s mouth were like music to her ears. A harmony of the most beautiful chords she’d ever heard in her life.

She used her thumbs to spread Lena open, exposing the _ very _slick and pinkish center. It was intoxicating. The sight, the scent, the way Lena’s legs trembled in anticipation. Kara let the tip of her tongue gather some wetness before circling the sensitive bud, making sure to never touch it directly. She repeated the purposeful torment several times before finally letting her tongue flick across Lena’s clit. 

“Oh god!” Lena bucked her hips in surprise.

Kara pulled her back down, her fingers dug deeper into Lena’s flesh to keep her from squirming. Then she alternated between sucking and licking the hypersensitive spot. Lena was practically grinding against Kara’s face at this moment. And when the superhero began flicking her tongue at an inhuman speed, Lena couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Inside me. Get inside me. Now.” She gasped from above.

Kara immediately kneeled on the bed and positioned two fingers at Lena’s entrance, she rubbed the area once more to lubricate her fingers and when she was about to push in, Lena’s eyes shot open and grabbed Kara’s wrist below her. 

“Control your strength.” The gravity of her request was apparent in her voice.

Lena had always been careful about letting Kara have the upper hand in their sessions. At the back of her twisted mind, there would always be a possibility where she'd end up getting severely injured. Though Kara had never hurt her, she’d seen what intense pleasure could do to the superhero, or rather, the things around her – broken chairs, shattered glass tables, and cracked walls.

But she also couldn’t deny that it felt so good. To have Kara pounding her with the perfect force, the unbelievable speed. The way her fingers tapped insanely against her inner walls. Right at this moment, she wanted that more than anything, to be taken and held under the superhero’s mercy. Though she did catch how Kara’s smile left her eyes when she was denied the chance to use the red sun torch. Lena made a mental note to use it in their next session.

“Trust me, Miss Luthor.” Kara assured in a soft voice.

Her fingers slid in effortlessly. She moved carefully, gauging Lena’s reaction as she maintained a comfortable pace. When Lena appeared to be relaxed enough, Kara sped up.

All of a sudden, Lena wasn’t thinking about being hurt anymore. Each time Kara pounded her fingers, a sliver of worry faded away.

“Faster, Ka-” Lena grabbed onto the sheets underneath her, stopping herself from calling the other woman’s name – something that was incredibly hard to do in the throes of passion – as they had agreed that it was a necessary measure to not make their relationship seem too intimate.

Kara worked like a well-oiled machine, not slowing down or stopping for a second. But right then her speed was borderline inhuman. She sped up, just a tad more, making sure not to penetrate all the way so she didn’t have to worry about hurting the Luthor with her strength. 

The Luthor groaned and cursed.

And at that moment, Kara realized this was what Lena wanted. Lena didn’t want a _ torch _ to dampen the qualities that made her Supergirl. Because this was the _only_ thing she had to offer – her ethereal, supernatural, out-of-this-world abilities.

“Supergirl…” Lena grabbed onto Kara’s shoulders so hard that the superhero could actually feel a pinch. When Kara curled her fingers, Lena’s body arched elegantly as waves of her arousal washed over her. She shivered for a good minute before finally calming down with Kara on top of her, in her arms.

Kara laid there, her face against Lena’s chest. She could hear the erratic heartbeats, soft and muffled, unlike what she usually picks up on with her superhearing. 

“Clean me up.” Lena finally regained enough composure to resume.

“Yes, Miss Luthor.” Kara wasted no time in pushing herself off of the bed. The Luthor looked even more stunning coated with evidence of her own arousal. It spread over her center and upper thighs, making her skin glisten under the dim lights from outside. 

Kara licked her lips, but as soon as a tinge of salt hit the tip of her tongue, Lena’s untimely phone alarm blared in the hall.

“Wait.” Lena sat up, a raised hand hovered in between them, “You don’t have to do it, Kara. Time’s up.” 

“It’s okay. I want to.” Kara delved right in, giving the Luthor no chance to protest. She lapped hungrily at Lena’s luscious thighs, then moving to the hot, molten center. The taste was enough to make her moan.

Lena threw her head back and buried both hands into golden locks, tugging gently whenever Kara’s greedy tongue brushed too forcefully over the sensitive bud. 

Convinced that her job was done, Kara found the will to separate herself from Lena. She wiped her swollen bottom lip with an index finger.

“Your tongue would be the death of me,” Lena admitted blithely.

Kara giggled. “I’ll see you next we-” 

“Dubai.” Lena interjected, her lips curving smugly.

“OH right, it completely slipped my mind. Just let me know when.” The blonde tried to appear less interested, for egotistical reasons. 

The two women got dressed, any forms of intimacy had long disappeared into thin air, leaving no traces of affection. 

Kara left the apartment the way she came in. She made sure that the red sun torch was still in the hidden compartment of her suit before she took off. Alex would _murder_ Kara if she were to lose the one thing, other than Kryptonite, that could render her weak, vulnerable… and useless.

Useless. To the Luthor, at least.

There were a couple of times when leaving the Luthor's penthouse brought on more sorrow than euphoria. This was one of those times. But this felt the worst. Because she had the confirmation she needed when Lena looked at red sun torch like it was a sacrilegious piece of invention.

Kara had been gravely mistaken. Lena didn't build Nth metal toys for a defenseless, assailable human being. They were for the Kryptonian who possessed the fascinating ability to speed around the borders of National City in seconds, whose fingers could touch so delicately but could also turn into an orgasm-inducing sex toy. The Kryptonian who also happened to be Kara Danvers.


	3. Second Chances

“Do you not see that?” He rubbed his forehead in exasperation, frustrated over the fact that his nanobots still bore subpar results and that his team of supposedly dedicated and hardworking geniuses was prepared to bring this project to an impulsive end.

“I can see that. I’m sure the rest of the room can too. Depending on the cause of injury, scar tissues have a ninety percent chance of fading in totality. But the wound is cauterized perfectly. It's the best we can do, Jack. If we delay the launch any further, we’d be incurring losses at abou-”

“Just- just another month… or two.” Jack removed his goggles, shooting a beseeching look at this assistant. A couple of disapproving groans rose from the back of the room. “I know it’s been hard. But I can do this. I know we can.”

“Dr. Spheer, we have exhausted our resources and frankly speaking, we simply do not have the funds to continue.” Dr. Corbeil was the only one who dared make a sound. The French lady had been Jack’s right-hand woman, giving him support and backing all of this plays, until now, “But if you insist, I suggest obtaining more funds from an external stakeholder.”

And that was what Jack did. His thumb swiped continuously as his eyes glazed across the names gliding across his screen. He prayed that his saving grace would be somewhere in his contacts. 

Then there it was - the light at the end of a bleak tunnel, hope in the midst of despondency. Who better to provide professional opinion than Lena Luthor, CEO of L Corp and expert of all things techy? 

He wondered if he had the right to reach out, to enter the life of the very person he once abandoned. It would be a good time to reconnect, he thought. To hopefully rid of the sourness of regret he felt in the core of his conscience whenever the thought of the one and only Lena Luthor cropped up in his mind. 

It hurt but he couldn’t say it wasn’t worth it. He was so close. So close to success. The only way to find out if he could finally enjoy the fruits of his arduous labor, and if the remnants of a bad breakup could be forgotten was to tap ‘call’. Of course, nothing ever comes easy with the Luthor. But the dull, monotonous beep wasn’t enough to keep the man from trying. 

Googling the Luthor was straightforward; getting a hold of National City’s youngest billionaire wasn’t. He waited patiently as he listened to the increasingly irksome melody playing to him on repeat. 

_ “Spheer? How is that spelled? _” After the last misspelled name led to Lena’s unbearably awkward phone call with Mr. Jenson instead of Mr. Jansen, Jess made sure to take every message with utmost accuracy. 

“S-P-H-E-E-R.” Honestly, Jack was a tad bit insulted, just a tiny bit.

_ “Oh, Jack Spheer, CEO of Spheerical Industries, right?” _ Jess knew she saw the name on the news somewhere.

“Yes, please let Miss Luthor know that I would love to have her work with me on my project. You can tell her that it was the one we stayed up into the wee hours for but still got a sad B as a final grade. She’ll know what I’m talking about.” Perhaps _ casually _mentioning that he and Lena used to spend tremendous amounts of time in each other’s company would better his chance of talking to the CEO herself. 

_ “Of course.” _ Jess politely replied. 

He was skeptical. Surely Lena wouldn’t take time out to dive back into an old college project, let alone invest in it. Granted, Jack has made some impressive discoveries since then, and the Biomax project had already been approved by the FDA.

Still, he and his team in Dubai weren’t able to bind the nanobots seamlessly with human skin. The scars, although not noticeable by the common eye, had always been an eyesore to him.

“Oh, one more thing. She’s still Miss Luthor, right?” Emphasis on the ‘Miss’. Words poured out of his mouth before he could stop humiliating himself. 

Undoubtedly, there was an awkward pause on the other side of the line before Jess answered rather professionally, _ “Miss Luthor is a very busy woman.” _

The call ended after an exchange of thanks and Jack sighed, thinking that he would be left with no choice but to present a less than perfect solution to the world of science and medicine. 

To his pleasant surprise, Jack found himself, a week later, standing in the middle of an overly crowded arrival hall, waiting in a herd of placard holders. He still wasn’t sure why Lena would agree to his proposal. Perhaps she was getting bored with her work at L Corp. Or could she have just wanted to visit Dubai? Perhaps Lena thought it’d help L Corp gain footing in the world of medicine. Or did she merely want to see him? Does she still… think of him? Does she mi-

“Lena!” Behind the big sunglasses and messier-than-usual hairdo, Jack could still recognize her from a mile away. The Luthor donned a pair of tight, black jeans and just a simple plain T-shirt. She seemed to be lugging extremely light baggage.

“Hey, Lena,” Jack called out again when he wasn’t heard the first time. And it pleased him to see Lena beam a smile he never knew he'd missed.

“Jack, it’s so good to see you.” She leaned in for a brief hug. It wasn’t awkward or anything, it felt familiar and new at the same time, like re-watching an old movie – discovering the finer details that are bound to be missed the first time. The positive aura that Jack was exuding was something new. He no longer had that old brooding look on this face. He seemed happy.

They settled into a random western-emirati fusion restaurant for a quick brunch. Jack thought it’d be a good way to introduce Lena to the cuisine when she revealed that it was her first time in the City of Gold. 

“Really? Single? No way.” It was evident that Jack seemed more pleased than shocked upon learning of Lena’s relationship status. Of course, he’d already known that _ ‘Miss Luthor is a very busy woman’ _, but he just had to make sure. And he couldn’t hide the smile that was creeping up his face.

“What do you mean?” Lena knew that her old friend was just trying to flatter her. 

“I mean… You’re young, smart, beautiful, inside and out. Anyone would be lucky to be with you.” 

Lena could date if she wanted to, but the rebranding of L Corp meant forging new business relationships with powerful organizations all over the world and closing multi-million dollar deals. And with her acquiring CatCo not more than three months ago, taking time off work to engage in any forms of socialization just didn’t seem to make sense. Furthermore, her weekly sessions with Kara seemed to be able to satisfy her need to loosen up perfectly. 

_ Oh. Kara. _

“Jack, I’ll be back in a minute. I just need to make a phone call to a fr-” Lena pulled her cell phone from her handbag, only to struggle to get the screen to light up. “Never mind, phone’s dead.”

“Here, use mine.” Jack graciously handed his phone and Lena took it without much thought. She flashed the phone up and furrowed her brows as if trying to recall something. 

“Forgotten your friend’s phone number?” Jack guessed. 

“What? Oh. No, no. I remember her number.” Two seconds into the ringing, Lena tapped wildly to end the phone call when she remembered that it was still way too early in the morning in National City. 

For the rest of the meal, the two did a little bit of catching up and they also talked about the project. Lena couldn’t wait to get started on her experiments – to finally get her hands dirty and not sit behind a desk in L Corp where the only things her hands did was spilling ink over pages and pages of paper; where her mind’s only task was to tell herself to push on until the day was over.

“I’ll show you the lab after this. You’ll love it.” Jack offered enthusiastically.

Well, she more than loved it. Lena was in awe when she stepped into the laboratory. Of course, L Corp’s facilities were definitely comparable. But something about this lab inspired and motivated her to work, to delve deep into her research and to finally present the nano-swamp technology to the world, alongside her partner. Perhaps it was the view from the 68th floor that made the whole place seem so endearing.

Dubai was the epitome of futuristic. The high-rise buildings were not only beautiful to look at, but they also had amazing tech backing their infrastructure. It looked like the future. Lena found herself eyeing a particularly tall building towering over all others. It was constructed with material almost as reflective as a mirror, curved at the right places to avoid solar concentration, and it was absolutely stunning. Lena just couldn’t tear her eyes away from the panoramic reflection of the city.

She stood in her new office for a couple of minutes, just to take in the view. Jack went above and beyond to have an office set up for the Luthor. It wasn’t fancy, but Lena thought it wasn’t necessary since she’d be spending most of her time in the lab after all. 

The plain white room was colored with indoor ferns at every corner and a large leather couch that looked more comfortable than her own bed at home. A glass office desk sat in the middle of the room, on top of it was a laptop already fired up for her. 

Walking around the table, she sat on the black roller chair and begin clicking into files and folders related to the Biomax project. There were probably hundreds of experimental test results dated from about five years ago, as well as video and audio clips. The legal documents were in a separate folder – which seemed odd to Lena that Jack would want these under her perusal. 

“Lena,” Jack announced his presence with two raps on the door. “Hope you’re liking your new office.”

“Thank you, Jack. You really shouldn’t have.” 

“Ah. It was no trouble. The room was unoccupied and we just had to move some furniture from the other offices.” 

“Really? The laptop seems pretty new to me.” Lena smirked.

“Well- Anyway! I would like you to meet my trusty assistant. Dr. Amir Khan.”

Lena almost didn’t see the much smaller man standing behind Jack. She extended her arm to shake his hand and the trio spent the next couple of hours in Lena’s temporary office ,catching the CEO up on their latest discoveries. 

Symptoms of jet lag began to surface when she found herself reading and rereading the same line of a report. The unglamorous yawn that followed after was her cue to get herself checked into the hotel to get some shut-eye. 

It was way past her sleeping time by the time she got herself checked in. Lena imagined her hotel room to be beautiful but she just couldn’t spare a minute exploring the master suite as she hastily removed her makeup so she could crash, face first, into the king-sized bed.

That was basically the Luthor’s routine for the entire week. Work, eat, sleep. It didn’t bother Lena that she didn’t have much time exploring this amazing city, because, to her, the work was equally fascinating. She’d develop a new-found respect for her past lover, current business partner, and hopefully, good friend, in the future. 

More importantly, she was so glad that she didn’t have to tarnish the reputation of L Corp by not bringing anything to the table. She’d made a great team with Jack and his associates and it almost made her miss working in the lab. Not the frustration of failing to prove a hypothesis though – that, she did not miss. But the satisfaction of finally getting some progress after the 15th experimental trial buzzed through her bones like an adrenaline shot. 

And with the rest of the team working overtime to finalize the end product for the nearing launch, Lena finally had an evening all to herself. She thought she would head out to actually appreciate the city, relish the excitement of talking to random strangers and trying new foods. But the bedsheets clung onto her skin like super glue and her limbs weighed a million tons. 

Staying in a suite is part of the Dubai experience right? Lena convinced herself weakly. 

A few knocks on the door startled her. 

“Jack?” Lena raised her voice in surprise. “I thought you had work.”

“Uh. Yes. Yes, I do.” The man stood awkwardly at the door with his hands behind his back. “I guess I have gotten used to having you in the office that it felt incredibly odd not seeing you.”

Lena laughed a hearty laugh. “What are you talking about? I left only two hours ago.”

Jack smiled coyly while Lena’s giggles abated. He looked at her, those brown specks in his eyes changing color as his pupils dilated. It made the woman reminisce about their college days. The two were basically inseparable. Outside of their final year project, they seemed like any other couple. Lena loved the movie dates and sleepovers, but nothing could make her forget the night of stargazing, where they sneaked out in the middle of the night, laid down at the back of Jack’s truck to watch the night of blinking stars.

_ Oh. _

“That’s where the picture is from.” Lena verbalized her thoughts.

“What?”

“Your phone's wallpaper. We went to watch the stars and we took a picture of the skyline. I thought it looked familiar.” 

“Oh that,” Jack suddenly looked flustered, “Uhm, I- I’m glad you remember.”

“Of course. We had fun. Though it’s over between us, it doesn’t mean we can’t talk about the past, right?” She tilted her head, trying to read Jack's mind to understand what had gotten him so jittery.

“Right… right. About that-” A bouquet of roses magically appeared from behind him and it hit Lena that Jack had something else planned other than just checking in on her. “Let’s try this again, Lena.”

“Jack…” Lena suddenly didn’t know what to do with her hands. Her mind revved into overdrive as she tried vainly to think up a response so Jack wouldn’t look as hurt as he looked at that moment. She turned to walk back into her hotel room to buy herself more time.

With quicker steps, Jack followed closely behind to catch up with the woman. He hastily placed the flowers on the dining table before reaching his arms out to hold Lena by the waist and finally turning her around to get her attention.

“I don’t know, Jack. What happens when I return to National City?” 

“I’m moving there. The team has decided to execute the launch at National City.” A hint of urgency colored his voice as he placed Lena’s hand on his chest. “I’m sure you feel this too.” Lena could feel the quick and steady heartbeats.

What struck her the most was the fact that she was actually considering this. This chance at normalcy. To be in love and experience the clichés of actually being in a relationship. Lena knew it was difficult for her to trust and love someone, after everything that she had been through. And the wreck of a family that she’d had to tolerate all these years. 

Perhaps Jack was the answer. Maybe he was the light at the end of this curvy, arduous tunnel. It was a safe answer. Because she did it, she did this commitment thing with Jack. She already knew the man and easing into a relationship with him would be clear and simple. 

Something, somewhere at the bottom of her heart, stripped her away from any grain of logic. It gave her the courage to say yes. Yes, to getting to know her first love all over again. Yes, to abandon her incessant need to plan and think of the future; to diving headfirst into this… this uncertainty. 

With every sip of wine came a flirtatious touch, and with every laughter, Lena and Jack inched closer to one another. With Jack’s lips on hers, Lena felt pure trepidation surging through her chest. The previous time she had someone else’s hand on her body was just a week ago, at her home, in her bedroom, with Kara.

_ Kara. _

Kara, whom she’d promised to call when she arrived in Dubai. 

_ Fuck. _

And it also occurred to her that they hadn’t discussed this. What if one of them starts seeing someone else? Do they stop their sessions or should they wait till the person in question moves on to a serious relationship?

_ Double fuck. _

Jack sensed hesitation from the woman in front of him. Her lips were stiff and halting. Her immobile hands barely rested their weight on his chest. He pulled away just enough to look into dithering green eyes, barely lit by the night light next to them. 

“I know we should take this slow. So I’m gonna go… But I’ll see you for breakfast? Same place, 9 AM?” Jack suggested with a tone so soft that Lena almost felt guilty.

“T-that sounds great, Jack.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

When Jack closed the door behind him, the Luthor jumped to her feet and started her quest to find her phone, call Kara, and tell her everything that had happened, and also how incredibly bad she felt for not checking in when she had promised to.

The ringing lasted forever before ending in a somber beep. 

_ Fuck. Times three. _


	4. Defying Gravity

It was like a crime scene. Black mascara and red lipstick stains colored the white bedsheets like a work of haphazardly put together art. Lena pushed herself off the bed with one arm, rolling herself to rest on her back instead of her tender face. 

Her first instinct was to check her phone. The sunlight trickling through the thick curtains seemed suspiciously bright and it couldn’t have been a good sign. 

There were three missed calls and two texts from Jack, and a single text from Kara. She tapped on her best friend’s message at lightning speed and she could hear quickening heartbeats in her own ears.

_ Hey Lena, it’s fine. I trust that you’re well but I’m still glad you checked in. Also- are you drunk texting me? _

To Lena’s horror, she did. Her thumb dragged down frantically to show the series of messages she had unknowingly sent, most of them were in capital letters with an array of crying emojis and sad faces, worsened with spams of apologies and spelling errors. The last one was her begging Kara to call or text her back. Lena felt her cheeks burning up and quickly exited the message thread to take a break from the humiliation. 

Then she saw two unread texts from Jack.

_ I hope you’re well-rested. I’m on my way to the café. _

_ Lena, I grabbed some bagels to go. You can have them at the lab. _

It was only then that she remembered having an actual breakfast date with her- her potential boyfriend? Lena didn’t know what freaked her out more – the fact that she was now seeing someone or that it was almost 10:30 AM. 

_ Crap. _

As much as she wanted to call Kara to at least apologize for being an annoyance last night, there was simply no time. Instead, her fingers drummed away.

_ I’m sorry Kara! I’ll talk to you soon I promise. _

Lena rolled off the bed and dived into the bathroom, deliriously washing away all evidence of unkemptness and shame. 

She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had to rush to get to work. She had been at the top of the food chain for most of her businesses for a while now and it usually didn’t matter if she showed up late for anything – except for the quarterly meeting with the board of directors, of course. She made it to the lobby in record time and had to take small and quick steps in her unnecessarily high heels to the taxi stand. 

It was a ten-minute ride from her hotel to the lab downtown. Fortunately, traffic wasn’t horrible this late in the morning. In the cab, she pulled out a pouch from her handbag containing all her makeup essentials. 

To the CEO, leaving your home without looking decent or applying makeup on the go was an indication of poor time management and just stark laziness. As much as she respected every single L Corp employee, she couldn’t help but judge those who would use the elevator walls as their personal dressing mirror. Yet today, she was one of those tardy ones. 

Looking up to assess her surroundings, Lena realized she was still nowhere near the lab.

“Sorry, if you could go a little faster that would be great.” Lena looked into the rearview mirror from the backseat to catch the driver’s eyes, “I am terribly late for work” 

The man nodded politely, acknowledging the Luthor through the same mirror, “No problem, Miss.”

Lena felt the acceleration immediately, and the speed they were going at would’ve already broken some traffic laws in National City. She dipped her eyes to the pocket mirror in her hand, trying her absolute best to apply her mahogany matte lipstick in the bumpy car ride.

It happened so suddenly. The car halted harshly with an unanticipated jerk and all Lena heard was a loud thud when her forehead crashed into the headrest in front of her. The impact caused her to rebound and she was flung and forced back into her seat. 

It could have been a bus, or a truck, or a god damn train, just an inch away from the farther window. Then she saw tiny bits of glass from the shattered windows splaying across her face in slow motion. There should’ve been a loud bang. But all the sounds in her ears reduced to a single tone. The sound of silence. The note of the universe. 

The collision seemed to have knocked the five senses out of her frozen body, along with her soul that Lena was sure would never return, because this definitely looked like her last day on Earth.

The next thud sent a sharp pain to the side of her head and then, nothing.

* * *

Jack was similar to Lena in the sense that he overthinks. A lot. So much that he had already convinced himself five times that Lena’s accident was his entire fault. 

Lena was still in surgery and all Jack could do was sit, pace, and think. And hell, was it suffocating. He stood up swiftly to bring his overthinking elsewhere, away from the bleak and overly-sanitized hospital aisle where everywhere he looked reminded him of why he was there in the first place; why Lena was there in the first place. 

He found himself walking up and down a flight of stairs in a fire exit. There was nothing he could do to soothe the anguish plaguing his whole body. Jack dealt with the pain the only way he knew how. And that was to numb emotional pain with physical pain. When he landed a sharp blow to the wall, crimson blood started to form on his knuckles 

Distracted by the radiating pain and trying to shake it off while worrying if he could erase the red stains on the white wall, it did the job for a moment. It was muscle memory, when he absentmindedly pulled out a metal casing from his back pocket, allowing a mini-sized nanoswamp to escape their confinements and float in the air, disorganized and chaotic at first, then congregating to settle on his minor wound.

The cuts on his knuckles healed up in an instant, painless and traceless.

_ Yes. It’s the stupid, stupid project that landed Lena in the hospital. _ He lost himself in a misguided thought. 

Or perhaps it was just _ his _ fault. If he hadn’t visited her last night, perhaps it would have given Lena more time to rest and turn up to work on time. But because of his selfish and greedy need to see her – to _ confess _ his feelings – the Luthor had instead caught herself in a series of unfortunate events leading her to _ this _. 

Jack sat on the stairs and decided that he needed to at least tell Lena’s friends about this. He knew both her mother and brother were in prison and he struggled hard to think about who he could reach out to.

Then, he remembered Lena making a phone call the first day she arrived in Dubai. Knowing how reclusive the Luthor could be, this friend must have been someone dear and close to Lena. It was easy finding the only unrecognizable phone number in his call logs. 

_ Hi, this is Kara Danvers! Leave a message and I’ll call you as soon as I can. _

Of course, Lena’s friends were probably as busy as her. Jack tried his luck once more.

_ “Hello?” _The quick response had surprised him.

“Hi, are you a friend of Lena?” Jack said calmly.

_ “Uh- Yes, yes. I’m a friend. Who is this?” _

“This is Jack Spheer.” He sighed, “I’m calling to le-”

_ “Oh, Jack! The ex, right?” _

That was strange. He didn’t expect himself to be introduced to any of Lena’s friends as an ex rather than a business partner.

“Uhm- actually. We have started seeing each other again. I mean, nothing’s official but we’re trying.”

_ “Oh-” _

There was a long pause and Jack wondered if he had said something he shouldn’t. But there were more important matters at hand.

“Miss Danvers. I don’t know how to break this to you.” Jack palmed his eyes, “Lena got into a car accident. She’s in surgery now. I thought I sh-”

_ “What?” _

“Lena was in a-”

_ “I mean- I heard what you said. What happened?!” _ Kara definitely sounded like a close friend of Lena’s. It made it that much harder for Jack to explain to her that he was the reason why Lena landed herself in this horrible plight. _ “Nevermind. Jack, please text me the address of the hospital and Lena’s ward number.” _

“Okay. I’m very sorry, Kara. She’ll be fine. I believe it.”

* * *

_ This is bad. Real bad. _

Her heart was pounding against her chest so harshly that it didn’t require unnatural hearing abilities to actually hear the thumps of worry. She could feel herself suffocating as if the air around her had become sand – sand that would fill her lungs until they didn't function anymore. 

Kara bolted straight back to her loft, in fear of falling from the sky and diving headfirst into the cold, hard, concrete beneath her. Perhaps that would be an easier way. Maybe her steel-like body could bury and pierce through the ground until she reached the Earth’s mantle. Because disappearing from the surface of this Earth would be a much better option than having to lose her best friend. 

_ Ugh. _

Lena’s life was hanging by a thread and all Kara could think about was making this easier for herself. And how the fact that Lena and Jack were seeing each other bothered her more than she would like to admit. She wasn't jealous, it was just the abruptness of it all. She certainly didn't peg Lena for the type who'd accept advances so easily - assuming Jack was the initiator, it had to be him, right?

She knew they couldn’t continue. The weekly routine had to stop. The secret meetings, the sex, they all had to-

_ Okay, this is ridiculous. _

Shaking her head and frowning at her inability to compartmentalize, Kara pulled out a black backpack from under her bed. She had to see Lena immediately.

Cold hands trembled as they shoved anything that they could grab into the bag – wallet, phone, and a few random articles of clothing. Kara switched her red and blue suit for a pair of black jeans and a black sweater. If she was going to break multiple aviation laws by flying across the globe, it would be safer to let people spot a strange, dark meteoroid as opposed to a woman with vibrant blonde hair, sporting a hard-to-miss red cape.

There was a problem, though. She had never flown that far out of National City, save the commercial flights where she would sleep through the turbulence as she snored next to Alex. Kara estimated that it’d take her about five hours to get to the hospital in Dubai, she threw a bottle of water into the bag, along with the other stuff, and she took off.

Her mind ran wild as the cold winds brushed against her face. The gloomy thought that Lena wouldn’t make it out of the operating theatre was just slightly outweighed by the more positive ones. She just had to have faith. Lena had always been stronger than she seemed, fighting and overcoming prejudice, working twice as hard for people to see the good in her. She could defy gravity if she wanted to. 

Kara couldn’t tell if she was crying. If there were tears, they would’ve already evaporated at the unearthly speed she was flying at. Kara wished her fears would vaporize along with them because it was getting pretty hard to fly with the weight of the world on her shoulders. 

After five and a half grueling hours, Kara stood behind the hospital looking like a train wreck. Her hand struggled to comb through blonde locks as they were tangled beyond belief. Kara dropped her bag to the ground, grabbed her coat and glasses and put them on sloppily.

She realized she was just aimlessly x-ray vision-ing and listening for Lena. Her steps quickened when she recognized the shape and sound of a particular individual. She heard her first, the slow, steady breaths were strong and robust. Kara let her shoulders fall in relief. 

Kara breathed deeply as she mustered enough courage to peek inside Lena’s room. Then she felt pain, actual stinging pain, right in the middle of her ribs. Even with no color in her cheeks and her lips were cracked and dry, Lena still looked beautiful. And there was no way Kara was going to let anything bad happen to this kind, delicate, soul ever again.

“Kara?” His eyes widened in confusion when he saw golden hair jutting out of the door’s frame. “How did you get here so quickly?”

Okay, this was a problem she didn’t anticipate. How was she going to convince Jack that there was an ultra high-powered aircraft at her disposal? Kara Danvers, ace reporter, flying in on a special L Corp jet, perhaps? _ Or _ she could just have been somewhere near Dubai. Vacation-ing.

Kara choked out and prayed that Jack wouldn’t pry, “Turkey. Uh- Turkey. I was there.” Thank Rao for geography lessons. 

“Oh. That’s- that’s good.” He barely smiled when his gaze dropped to the ground. “Uh- Lena. She’s- The doctor said she’s gonna be okay.”

Kara gasped sharply when she saw Lena up close. Her bottom lip was bruised into a purple tint and there were stitches near her left temple, the hero could count four. She stood there in absolute shock, the realization that she was _ this _close to losing Lena for good hit her in the gut again. 

“Jack… what happened?” Kara forced the words out of her throat.

“There was a collision, a truck, I think. Lena was on the way to the lab in a cab… Uhm…” Jack started choking. “She has a concussion, a cut on the side of her head, and some bruises. It could take about two weeks for her to recover completely…”

“Okay, okay. She’ll be okay.” Kara chanted under her breath, convincing herself that there’s nothing to do now but wait. “Are the other parties okay?”

Jack nodded, “Yes, the cab driver, Mr. Nair. He called the ambulance. He’s okay because the truck hit the back of the car. The other driver’s fine as well. Lena took the worst hit… It’s- It was all my fault.”

“What? Jack, you couldn’t have expected this. No one could.” Jack looked like he was about to grow grey hairs wallowing in this state of self-blame. His bloodshot eyes were proof that he had been crying over Lena. Perhaps he really cared. Perhaps he was good enough for her best friend. “Look, you’ve been here the entire day. You should definitely get some rest.”

Jack shook his head disapprovingly. “No, no, no. I need to be here.”

“There’s nothing you can do right now, Jack. I can stay the night. I will take care of her and make sure she sees a familiar face when she wakes up. Lena would feel horrible if she sees you like this.” Kara persuaded.

The man contemplated for a moment. He saw the look in the blonde’s glassy blue eyes; she was as anxious over Lena as he was. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Kara.” Jack smiled weakly. “Please call me when she wakes up.”

“Of course.”

She listened in to Jack’s footsteps until she was sure he had left the building. Approaching the unconscious woman in front of her, Kara dropped to her knees and gently pulled Lena’s hand towards her. She grasped it gently, not wanting to cause too much disruption. 

Kara let herself melt into the assurance that the small gesture had brought her. It was as if all her senses were drawn to the meager physical contact between Lena’s palm and hers. The slight warmth radiating from Lena’s skin was all she needed right now.

“Be okay,” Kara mumbled.

Nurses came and went routinely, smiling courteously at Kara, writing on clipboards and replacing IV drips. They occasionally dabbed Lena’s lips with a wet cloth to keep them hydrated, but they’d always turn pale and crinkle up as soon as the nurses leave.

Kara fished a lip balm from her backpack and applied it to her ring finger before dabbing it on Lena’s lips. 

_ “Mm-” _

Was that coming from Lena?

Kara lifted her finger and concentrated on her hearing. But she realized she didn’t need to when Lena’s eyes started to flutter open. 

The lamp right above her head was definitely too bright for her to fully lift her heavy eyelids without hurting her eyes. “Kara.” The blurry figure next to her came into focus. And for some reason, she didn’t seem surprised to see her best friend here, miles away from where she was supposed to be. 

“Shhh. Don’t move, Lena. You’re in bad shape.” Kara prodded. “I mean! You’re in perfect shape, your body’s great- more than great. But you’re really injured. You have a concussion and-”

Lena was frail but still managed an anemic laugh, “Ouch, ouch. Okay, no giggling.” Every part of her body ached and stung all at once.

Kara smiled and moved to the bed, “Lena… I was worried sick.”

“I’m alive. Don’t worry. I’m a Luthor.” 

“The best one,” Kara admitted with a coy smile.

“Are you going to continue? My lips are about as dry as the Atacama Desert.”

“Oh.” Kara leaned in slowly, her own lips parted as she focused on transferring the rest of the balm on her finger to Lena’s bruised lips. Lena winced at every dab but tried her best to stay still.

“There.” Kara blushed when she saw how intently those green eyes were looking at her.

“Thank you.” Lena relaxed. She closed her eyes to rid herself of the nauseating feeling creeping up her throat. Getting into a car accident was no fun. But she felt even worse at Kara’s next comment.

“So, you and Jack, huh?”

Her eyes snapped open, her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find words. “I’m so sorry Kara, I would’ve told you myself.”

“Sorry?” Kara was genuinely surprised and caught off guard. “Why?”

“You’re okay with this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? We- we aren’t in a relationship, Lena. It’s fine. You deserve your shot at happiness.”

Lena’s heart ached. Kara’s insinuation at how she had to find happiness outside of their current arrangement sent a pang through her veins. It wasn’t that. It was never the case. But she didn’t know how to put it into something comprehensible for the hero to understand.

“I- Thank you, Kara.” The Luthor bit inside her mouth at the worst reply she could come up with.

Kara looked at her own wringing hands, “As long as you’re sure-” the short pause followed a tinge of optimism Kara carried in her voice – one that had hopes of Lena uttering something that would show that she had her doubts about this. But Kara continued, “Jack seems nice. He was really worried. I asked him to go home to freshen up a little… And he seemed to think that he got you into this mess.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Lena sighed, and then shook her head slightly, “I asked the driver to speed up, and maybe he ran a red light. I wasn’t sure…” 

“It doesn’t matter now. You’ll be up on your feet in no time.” Kara smiled a smile so bright that Lena felt herself getting stronger already. 

“I can’t believe you got here so soon.” 

“Well, my private jet flies fast.” Kara chuckled. “Alex is going to be furious, though.”

“Does she know you’re here?”

“Not really… no.” 

“Kara-”

“It’s okay!” Kara interrupted the impending lecture. “I’ll go back as soon as Jack… Oh crap, I was supposed to call him.”

“It’s fine, Kara. Knowing him, he’d just rush over here without a second thought. I’ll send him a text first thing in the morning so he can stop worrying.”

Kara simply nodded. “So… That means we have to stop, right?” 

There it was, that hope again; the anticipation that colored her voice as she waited longingly for Lena come up with the words that could fill the void expanding in her chest. She eyed the Luthor once again, hoping that she was understood so she didn’t have to supply the explicit version of the same question.

Lena nodded thoughtfully. It wasn’t clear if she was saying ‘yes’ or if she was just processing. She had expected this to be an issue, and regret sat deep within her when she realized she should’ve discussed the possibilities of such changes with the hero.

“It wouldn’t be fair to Jack.” She murmured under her breath, saying it more to herself than to Kara. “One last time? For old time’s sake.”

Unblinking blue eyes stared right back at her. They were glassy, glistening, and filled with a kind of pensiveness. 

_ Lena’s not mine. Lena’s not mine. Lena’s not mine _. An indoctrinating mantra.

“Yeah. Sounds great.” Her expression untwisted to reveal the kind, affectionate visage that Lena knew so well, then she smiled a little too widely.

Was it a good idea? Neither of them knew. But all Lena wanted was some sort of closure. For herself and Kara to acknowledge the finality in the arrangement that they’ve gotten so acclimated to. Perhaps it’d soften the sense of loss. Perhaps it’d be easier to let go.


	5. The Epiphany

Two weeks.

Lena spent two grueling weeks in a hospital that didn’t even serve Jello. _ Oh, the atrocity _. Getting back to National City while high on Tylenol was made easier with Kara forcing the CEO to use her private jet instead of flying business. 

_ ‘Or I’ll fly you home myself.’ _ The hero threatened, knowing that Lena would decline without a second thought because the kind woman wouldn’t want her best friend to go through the trouble. So Lena went against her will, grunting as she boarded the jet that Jess had sent over, feeling horrible for leaving more carbon footprints on this dying planet. She swore to pump in more funds into research for clean energy. 

A town car was already waiting for her when she arrived in the city. The driver dressed professionally, extending his arms to take over her baggage as soon as Lena approached him. _ “Welcome home, Miss Luthor.” _

And it sure felt good to be home.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air, a light lemongrass scent, probably from the essential oil diffuser that Mrs. Montez left on. The kind woman had taken the initiative to clean and tidy up the already spotless home before Lena’s arrival. 

Lena left her luggage at the door and walked to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. A yellow sticky note stuck out like a sore thumb when she passed by the refrigerator. 

_ ‘Welcome home, Miss Luthor. Miss Danvers told me about your accident. There are herbal tea and lasagna in the fridge. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Love, Mrs. M’ _

Slight warmth buzzed through her chest. She pulled the heavy door of the refrigerator, the uncomfortable chilliness piercing through her bones, and she saw the large bottle of dark-colored, homemade herbal tea as well as a hefty tray of lasagna wrapped in foil. 

Her mind wanted her to heat up the entire tray of food in the oven and just go to town with it. But her frail body was screaming for the bed. She felt bile accumulating under her tongue, possibly an undesirable side effect of the pain relievers, and in this case of mind versus body, the latter won by a mile.

It was the best sleep she had in forever. No dreams, no disturbances, nothing. It was dark out, but Lena could hear the streets beneath her humming with traffic and people. 

She stretched in bed, gradually feeling the ache in all of her joints loosen and disappear. Her facial muscles stretched with a hearty yawn, reminding her that the spot on her temple was still sore from freshly removed stitches. And there was a very, _ very _, hollow stomach in her abdomen, pleading to be fed. It was possible that she had only awoken because of the grumbling in her tummy.

While waiting for Mrs. M’s lasagna to bubble, Lena stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower. She let out a long sigh, reveling in the way the heated waters rained on and dribbled off her pale skin. She squeezed shampoo onto her palm and lather it up into a thick foam, her fingers rubbed and scraped her scalp and it felt heavenly. It really was good to be home. 

The oven dinged just in time. Putting on oven mittens, Lena pulled the tray out carefully, setting it down on the kitchen island to let it cool for a while. Waiting was the hardest, especially with the beckoning aroma of melted cheese and sweet Italian sausage wafting in the air.

_ Bzzt bzzt. _ Lena’s abandoned phone buzzed alive.

_ ‘Text me back when you’re done showering.’ _

It was Kara. How the hero knew that she was showering baffled Lena. The Luthor decided to ring her best friend up.

_ “Lena! I’m so glad you’re back. How are you feeling?” _

Lena beamed. “Much better now, thank you for asking.”

_ “Of course. I uhm- I’m actually outside your door.” _

“What?” Lena scrambled out of the kitchen, “Why didn’t you ring the bell?”

Lena opened the door and the hero was there, wrapped up like a burrito in a knitted grey coat that looked too thick for the weather. Kara smiled at her sheepishly and Lena couldn’t help but chuckle. Both of them ended the call when their eyes met.

“Because you were in the shower! It’s okay I didn’t wait long.” Kara entered the apartment when Lena took a step back to let her in.

“How did you know?” Lena asked, shutting the door after Kara.

“How did I know what?” Kara removed her coat, setting it on the back of a memory-laden chaise. 

“That I was in the bathroom?”

“Oh.” The superhero flushed crimson. “Lucky guess?”

“You pervert. You x-ray visioned me!” The Luthor exclaimed in feigned shock.

“I’m sorry! I just wanted to check if you’re home. I didn’t want to ring the bell if you were sleeping. I swear it was just for a second!”

Lena guffawed at Kara’s overreaction. “Come on, Kara. You’ve seen way more.” Lena shook her head with a smirk, unaware that her statement had made the hero blush even more, “You’re just in time for Mrs. Montez’s famous lasagna.”

“Aw yes!” 

Lena grabbed plates and cutlery from the cabinet and Kara took the initiative to move the still scalding hot tray of deliciousness from the island to the dining area – without oven mittens. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the hero’s face contorting at the grim heat under her finger pads.

“Show off.” Lena jeered.

“It’s really not that hot.” Kara entered the kitchen once more, taking the utensils from Lena’s hands and ordering her to settle down while she served her. 

“Jack didn’t come back with you?” That was the first thing Kara had in the back of her mind when she saw through the walls of the penthouse.

Lena pursed her lips as she settled in front of a steaming plate of home-cooked food. For some reason, she didn’t like talking to Kara about her new man. Or old flame. It could be because of how the air would suddenly be suffused with bitter tension.

“He’s dealing with some stuff in Dubai. He’s planning to close his office there and move to National City.” Lena kept it concise.

The hero nodded understandingly, glancing up only once to flash a subtle smile. Then keeping her head down as she savored the amazing flavors.

“You’re okay with this right? Me and Jack.” 

Kara frowned. She didn’t want to be an obstacle in Lena’s relationship with Jack, or anyone, for that matter. She couldn’t deal with any guilt or responsibility that’d surface if she ended up being the one ruining Lena’s shot at happiness. 

“Of course, Lena. Like I said before, you make your own decisions. I just want you to be happy. I don’t think we should let our thing hinder any potential relationships.” Kara’s voice was low and sincere.

Lena nodded, the fork in her begun hand pushing food around the plate, “I guess, I just feel bad. It was sudden and I feel like I’m deserting you.”

Kara’s signature crinkle made its appearance at the ridiculous remark. “No, Lena… That’s absurd. It was supposed to be a no-strings thing. But I must say I’m pretty surprised at how quickly you and Jack reconnected.”

“Yeah, I surprised myself too. “But you know, it felt right when he asked, so I just followed my heart.” 

“That’s good… that’s good.” 

It seemed like a good time to change the subject. “So, how are things at CatCo? I feel so guilty for not being around.”

“Nah, it’s fine. CatCo runs on autopilot. With James around, nothing could go wrong. Thank you for saving it though.”

“Anything happened while I was away?”

“Nope. I was bored to death! I was literally flying around the city and doing nothing. Crime rates are at an all-time low! I can’t beli-” Kara stopped herself, “I mean! That’s a good thing.” 

Her panicked look made Lena smile again. Kara wished more people could see this side of Lena. The softer, warmer side of her. Her smile could light up even the darkest rooms. 

“What?” Lena furrowed her brows. 

“Hm?” 

“You’re staring. Something on my face?” Lena set her fork down and reached over to Kara’s side of the table to grab the tissue box. 

“No, no. It’s nothing. I was just spacing out. You look fine. As always.” 

“Sweet talker.” 

“I thought you liked it.” Kara teased.

“Don’t mock me, Supergirl,” Lena said in a stern voice, but with a jesting glint in her eye.

“I’m sorry, Miss Luth-” Kara’s left hand flew to her mouth and she scrunched her eyelids shut, hoping her slip up would go unnoticed. 

The name, barely uttered, kindled a flicker of light within Lena. It left her wanting more. To turn that small, barely palpable flame into something of a blazing inferno.

There was hesitation but she went with it. “Finish your sentence,” Lena demanded. 

Kara practically quivered at the display of dominance. “I’m sorry, Miss Luthor. I won’t do it again.” Her eyes never left the plate in front of her.

“Kara.” 

The hero’s eyes shot up faster than a fighter jet.

“Relax.” Lena flashed an assuring smile.

Kara exhaled a long breath and she grinned in embarrassment. “Sorry, habit.” 

“Hm.” Lena tapped her fingers wildly on the table. “Do you want to play?”

“Right now? I uhm-”

“It’s okay if you’re not ready.” Lena quickly offered an out, “I was just suggesting.”

“No, it’s not that. I’m- I’m not in my suit though.” The hero fidgeted nervously.

“That’s fine. It’s just one last time. Doesn’t matter to me.”

_ One last time. _The finality of it all brought about an air of melancholy. Kara wanted to decline. To put this off for as long as possible. Like how Mondays feel like they would never come if you avoid sleeping on Sundays. Like how a book would never end if you dawdle long enough to avoid reading the last chapter.

Then they wouldn’t have to go back to being regular friends. They could still linger in this ambiguity. They could still be special. Kara glowered at her strange desire to protect her status with the Luthor.

Lena watched the gears in Kara’s mind spin fiercely. The hero was clearly not comfortable with the impromptu session, the twisted mouth and crinkle said it all. She stayed silent and as still as possible as she let Kara work through her thoughts. 

“Okay.” Kara breathed.

“Okay.” Lena parroted, pausing for a few seconds to allow a change of heart. “Just wait for me in my room? I’ll clean this up.” 

“I’ll do it, Miss Luthor.” Kara immediately reached out for Lena’s plate, stacking it onto hers. The noisy clanging of cutlery resounded in the hall under Kara’s haste to please the other woman.

Lena followed the blonde to the kitchen, watching her back and how her shoulders bobbed as she did the dishes. It was her turn to feel dismal about the whole situation. Would she be able to satisfy her kinks with Jack? It took Kara and Lena years to be comfortable with such forms of intimacy. And it’d take a few more with Jack - if he wasn’t opposed to it.

Unless, of course, _ if _ they broke up. 

Kara put the cleaned plates aside and wiped her hands on her navy dress pants. She turned and paced towards the Luthor, keeping her gaze down as a submissive would.

“Hm, what a good girl already.” 

Lena’s praise settled into an arousing warmth deep down her abdomen, filling her with pleasure, pride, bliss. How was she going to achieve this degree of contentment without the Luthor?

“Thank you, Miss Luthor.”

“The torch. You brought it last time. Do you have it?”

“Yes, Miss Luthor.” 

Lena let a soft chuckle escape. “Were you expecting this?”

Blue eyes finally met Lena’s, “No! I mean- no, I wasn’t expecting to play. I just have to keep it close because I cannot lose it.”

Lena understood the gravity of losing something like a red sun torch. “Okay, go get it. I’ll be in my room.”

The dressing table in front of Lena’s bed had the perfect height. Kara turned the torch on and set it on the table, making a few angle adjustments to make sure the beam was centralized on the bed. Lena sat on the edge of the bed as she watched, her usually pale skin now glowed a soft red blush. Her eyes turned from green to a dull brown, making her look colder than usual.

The room darkened when Kara stood right in front of the torch, she could immediately feel the fizzling energy in her veins seep away like a battery being drained of its life source, except that she doesn’t die. She became human. 

Kara backpedaled and sat on the bed next to Lena as she braced herself.

“Kara,” Lena had a comforting hand on the hero’s back, “Are you sure about this?” 

It had always felt weird. Losing her powers. Most of the time it wasn’t by choice, but now that she had the luxury to decide, Kara was at a lost. She hadn’t really thought about it. Would she have wanted her powers if she could choose? The idea of ordinariness appealed to the hero, but that would mean not being able to defend the city that she loved. “Since I brought it, we might as well use it.”

“But do _ you _ want it?” Lena pulled Kara closer. “Don’t worry about pleasing me. I want you to choose for yourself.”

“Y-yes. I want it. But do you?” 

“Me? Of course I do.” Lena’s bewildered look left Kara feeling obliged to provide an explanation.

“The first time I brought the torch. You didn’t want it.” Kara felt an ache in her chest as she reminded herself of the vexing conclusion she had made that very day – Lena didn’t want Kara Danvers, she wanted Supergirl. “I thought you only liked my- my speed, my strength.”

“What? No.” Lena barely whispered. She got onto her feet and then on her knees in front of Kara, her arms formed a protective boundary on either side of the blonde’s hips, hoping that it’d make whatever she was about to say next be all the more convincing, “I was selfish that day. I was so caught up on the idea of not having you around while I was in Dubai and that it made me want to feel you. All of you. I’m sorry I didn’t return the favor.”

Kara shifted uncomfortably, trying to keep up with the quickening breath that came with the loss of powers. “It’s okay. I love pleasing you. I- I love being your good girl.”

“You were, you are. C’mere.”

Lena rose, expectant eyes followed her as she unraveled the thin, lead-laced fabric she had been keeping in her hand. She realized she could’ve had used the regular blindfold instead. Kara leaned forward instinctively and Lena made quick work of the knot. 

“Too tight?” 

“No, Miss Luthor.” Kara breathed.

“Such a good girl you are, Supergirl. Today will be all about you.” Lena made sure to sing praises as much as she could to make up for the previous time. “How are you feeling?” 

The praise would’ve sent Kara to the heavens if it weren’t for the red sunlight draping over her skin like acid rain. Kara steadied her breath as she focused solely on the sounds of Lena’s heartbeat, they sounded loud at first – strong, loud thumps that resounded deeply in her ears. But soon, the hammering beats tapered away and all she could hear were the hollowness of her own breath.

She then squeezed her palms several times to test her strength, which still seemed unaffected at this point. “I’m okay. T-this might take a while.” Kara stated softly.

“That’s all right. We’ll start slow. Move back a little for me?” 

Stronger than usual hands guided her to where she needed to be. Kara was still sitting at the edge of the bed but her legs dangled from scooting back. The bed sunk slightly as the Luthor clambered onto the bed, both knees on either side of her hips. 

For a moment, the woman on her lap felt like she was going to fall backward, Kara’s hands flinched, unsure if they are allowed to touch the goddess whose fingers were tugging at the hem of her light blue shirt.

Lena regained balance quickly. She pulled the hem up, forcing the blonde in front of her to lift up her arms so she could finally get rid of the needless garment.

At the mercy of the scaled-down version of Rao’s light, Kara felt weaker by the second. Her powers evaporated like a puddle of water on a hot day. She felt Lena’s warm hands cup her face and for the first time in a long time, perfectly plump lips pressed against her own. It was a peck, then an opened mouth kiss.

Kara almost moaned, but instead, a quiet whimper escaped her when the Luthor pulled away, too soon for her liking. There were movements, the bed quavered a little and then there was an almost inaudible thud. 

Then it was quiet. It was a distressing silence, because, in Kara’s world, it was always loud sirens, animals spurting about in the wild, random conversions of strangers, repulsive noises of people having sex, but it was never _ silent. _

She felt a burn. Like Lena was boring her green eyes into her, reading her like an open book. She lingered in anticipation, waiting eagerly for the woman to invade her space again and kiss her. And when she did, their kisses became heated and more passionate.

Eyes moved rapidly beneath the blindfold, struggling vainly to catch a glimpse of the woman she didn’t recognize. This softer, warmer person on her lap who was kissing her as if she wanted her. Not her body, but _ her _. Her mind, her heart, her duality. Everything.

“Can I touch you?” Maybe perceiving this stranger through physical contact could make her recognizable. 

But Kara knew better. Because the usual answer to any desperate request would be stark rejection. Because this was what it was supposed to be, right? Denial and discipline. Control and restraint. Also, the missing ‘Miss Luthor’ should have already earned her a cruel punishment. 

However, Lena nodded her head, forgetting that Kara couldn’t actually see her acknowledgment. Then a soft ‘yes’ was all she uttered when she’d realized. Her tongue peeked out, wetting Kara’s lips, and expecting to be let in. 

If she still had her powers, the sheets in the white-knuckled hands would’ve already been torn into confetti. Kara released the crumpled sheets and let her deft fingers graze against the flushed skin of Lena’s waist. The intensity of the kiss was enough to make Kara ignore the confusion regarding Lena’s sudden nakedness. 

Goosebumps formed under her finger pads as she traveled northwards, her thumbs tracing the shape of Lena’s full breasts as they inched closer to already stiff peaks. When she brushed over them, Lena gasped sharply and then a strong shove left her bouncing her back off the bed.

“No.” Lena admonished.

“I’m sorry, Miss Luthor.” Kara's chest heaved as she laid still on the bed, her hands back to clutching the bedsheets to stop them from committing another grave mistake.

“You’re a good girl for wanting to please me. But what did I say earlier?”

“Today is all about me.” 

“Yes. If you cannot control yourself, I will bind your wrists. Is that clear?”

“Y-yes Miss Luthor… But can I see you?” 

Lena leaned forward, reaching out to the back of Kara’s head to loosen the ribbon. She pulled the fabric away and Kara immediately had to curb her growing appetite when she saw those luscious breasts right in front of her. 

Lena adjusted her position and then Kara moaned loudly into the kiss that was awarded to her immediately. Lena felt so desperate. So needy. Still unrecognizable. The hero could’ve sworn that she heard Lena whispering her name in between the sloppy kisses. Not Supergirl, but _Kara._ And she loved it. She loved every second of this, more than she had expected herself to. 

And she would do this with the Luthor for as long as she wanted. She wanted to _ serve _ the woman. But she knew she couldn’t anymore. Not with someone else by her side. Not with another being kissing the lips that had her intoxicated at this very moment. 

“Lena…” Kara’s cry for help was met with nothing but wet kisses and soft grunts. 

“Lena, wait.” It was just too much. 

“Emerald.”

Lena stilled. “What?” She pulled away and angry frown lines formed on her forehead.

“Emerald. That’s our safeword, right?” Kara’s voice grew serious.

They had never used their safeword. It was only for the first time they did this, when Kara – under the influence of a couple of Aldebaran Rums – foolishly solar flared just so they could have a moment of fun. And when a moment of fun turned into a weekly routine, the word was simply forgotten. Forgotten by Lena, at least.

“Y-yes. It is. Did I hurt you…?” The confusion in Lena’s expression was mixed with hurt and shock; she rolled off to the side so she could properly assess the blonde.

“No… Lena, no,” Kara said in exasperation, climbing off the bed. She grabbed the red Sun torch and switched it off. “I- I can’t do this.” 

“Why?” Lena followed the blonde as she left the room.

“Why?” Kara repeated, turning to look at Lena in disbelief and looking unglamorously pissed with one leg in her pants. “You’re with Jack. And that was… just too much. I-I don’t know what to say.”

“Try, Kara.” The Luthor took a step forward but Kara responded by taking a step back. 

“I can’t- I can’t do this knowing that you’re with someone else.”

“Technically… I’m not with him.” Lena crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “We’re just seeing each other. Nothing official.”

“Did you-” Kara’s voice trembled and she took a moment to compose herself. “Did you kiss him?”

“What? What has that got to-”

“I don’t know. You-” Kara sighed, “You kiss differently. So did you?”

This was absurd. Lena would gladly run through the details of her dating life with Kara. But this wasn’t the Kara she knew. This was the angry, irrational and unfathomable variant of Kara Danvers. Why did she have to ruin their last time together? Why would it bother Kara if she-

_ Oh. _

“You-” Lena formed her words carefully. “Y-you have feelings for me.” She said it more to herself than to the blonde.

Kara’s eyes widened as though this was new information to her as well. “No- No I-” Forming a proper sentence was difficult as she wondered if Lena’s inference held any truth. Kara’s frame softened as though she’d had an epiphany. Her eyes lit and dimmed at the same time – in realization and heartache.

It had all started to make sense to her, how she felt when she first received the news from Jack, the stab in her heart when Lena moans ‘Supergirl’ instead of her own name and the level of stupidity she’d lowered herself to as she solar flared that first night-

_ When the hell did this start? _Kara questioned herself.

Kara wanted to submit, but she did so a tad too much. She had surrendered her heart as well. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It _ cannot. _

“I have to go.” How she wished she could just take off from the balcony, avoiding any seconds and milliseconds of awkwardness and pain that she had to endure as she dragged herself, feet heavy and chest tight, to the front door. 

And Lena froze – probably the worst time to – and she made no attempts at stopping the superhero in her tracks. She mentally replayed every interaction she had with Kara, it felt like something out of a Black Mirror episode as she thought hard about the timeline of events, analyzing and reanalyzing. Behaviors, words, touches. She should have picked this up sooner, or at the very least, have it in her suspicions so Kara didn’t have to go through this alone. 

She should have realized when Kara had flown halfway across the world to check on her, ignoring physical strain and leaving the city she loved so dearly behind, unguarded and defenseless.

She should have known when Kara had asked if they should stop doing _ this. _How her mouth only perked up slightly at the corners; empty and bottomless blue eyes boring into her own – like an astronaut lost in vacant space, filled with nothing but oblivion – while trying to hold in check all visceral signs of pain.

“Goodbye, Kara.” Lena managed to say only after the front door closed harshly to trap the dreary coldness in the bleak apartment, where she dropped to her knees realizing that she might have lost her best friend. For good.


	6. Stronger Together

The four walls of her office were a barricade, a form of protection, except they weren’t shielding Lena from any kind of danger, but from the thoughts of a particular superhero. 

As the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company, losing yourself in work was easy. For the past month, paperwork, meetings, conference calls were like Lena’s medicine – a regular dose to keep unwelcomed emotions at bay. 

There would be times in between her hectic schedules where her mind would idle, treading dangerously close to a chasm so wide; it could devour her entire being without her knowing. She would pick up her phone to type something, and then struggle to find the courage to press ‘send’. There would also be times when shades of red and blue would emerge vaguely in her peripherals, and she could have sworn Kara slowed just enough to catch a glimpse of her, but Lena would always muster every ounce of control she had in herself to look away, too terrified of detecting a hint of suffering in her best friend’s eyes. 

_ Best friend. _

Another barricade. Lena had been so comfortable hiding behind the safety of this platonic name that the possibility of having other kinds of feelings spawning from it seemed unimaginable. 

Lena wondered if she was the cause of this mess. After all, she was the initiator of this train-wreck of a relationship. Best friend with benefits. Staring at the blank screen of her laptop, Lena finally let her mind wander. Like a self-aware magnet avoiding the natural attraction of the opposite pole, she was completely drained of energy and couldn’t hold herself back anymore.

She found her happy place. The first time. Kara had one too many Aldebaran Rums and didn’t want to get fined for drink-flying, especially not with a very intoxicated human in her arms. The cab ride to the penthouse was filled with slurred conversations and stifled laughter. After a nightcap and a few risqué questions, Lena flung a leg over Kara and straddled her best friend on her couch.

_ “You’re telling me, the all-powerful, ass-kicking Supergirl likes to submit?” _ Lena remembered how pleasantly stupefied she was at the new information. She had grabbed both of Kara’s wrists, pushing them above their heads, against the wall.

Kara giggled, alcoholic breath filling the narrow space between them, _ “Are you trying to restrain this all-powerful, ass-kicking, Supergirl?” _

_ “I’m not delusional. I know my limits,” _ Lena sneered at the blonde beneath her, _ “I just need you to hold back your powers. Can you?” _

The smirk that appeared on Kara’s face was so… sexy. She felt herself hovering. The ground seemed farther, and Lena yelped, releasing Kara's wrists to claw frantically at her shoulders for support. 

_ “I can’t control my powers, Lena. Just like how you can’t control your urge to straddle me.” _ Kara floated higher, it was fortunate that Lena’s penthouse had high ceilings, or Kara wouldn’t be able to prove her point. _ “I do have an idea though.” _

That was when Lena learned to never allow the law-abiding, responsibility-laden hero to get so incautiously drunk again. All symptoms of tipsiness left her body when she saw two luminous beams fire out from her balcony.

_ “Kara, no!” _ Lena was foolish to think she could stop a stubborn and somewhat horny Kryptonian. _ “You have superhero-ing to do tomorrow!” _

_ “I’ll call in sick!” _ Kara shouted into the crisp, night-time air. _ “Stay back, you might get hurt.” _

It was hard to watch. The corners of Kara’s eyes glowed an angry red, the air felt warmer and thicker almost instantly and the humidity became almost a little too uncomfortable to bear. In about two minutes, Kara was mostly drained out of energy from the Earth’s yellow sun. 

_ “You can tie me up now.” _ Kara lilted, bracing herself on the balcony’s railings while fanning her scalding eyes with a free hand.

_ “That was reckless Kara. What were you thinking?” _ Lena chastised, but the pout on the Kryptonian’s face looked so annoyingly adorable. That was one of Kara’s superpowers, she thought, as she succumbed to the death grip of the hero's cuteness. _ “But I guess we shouldn’t let you solar flare for nothing… We need a word.” _

It took a moment for the hero to understand what Lena was asking. _ “A safe word?” _

_ “Yes. You know, just in case.” _

After a few seconds of careful thought, _ “Emerald.” _

Lena raised her eyebrow, _ “Okay. Emerald it is. Use it if anything feels off and you want to stop.” _

And that was the first time the two women started their dance on this blurred line separating friendship and something more. A line so delicate, that not many can tolerate waltzing on it without tripping. It’s ironic, really, because on this thin line, you’re safe. You are allowed to fall back into your comfort zone, unscathed and out of harm’s way. You can still ease back into familiarity and with time, you’ll soon forget ever striding along this dangerous threshold.

But now, they'd both fallen, face-first, on the other side of that line. They weren't supposed to go that far.

_ Fuck. _

She wanted to be the most productive businesswoman of the day, not some feeble human being soaking in tribulation, pondering over things that couldn’t be fixed all while fantasizing about reliving one of the best moments of her life. 

But one hand on the keyboard and the other on a wireless mouse only mimicked the act of a hardworking CEO. 

The room started to smother her. The first droplet of tears threatened to crack her resolute facade. Lena sniffled and erased the evidence of weakness with the back of her hands, careful not to ruin the makeup she’d forced herself to put on as she dragged herself to work. She stood up swiftly and slid the balcony door open to hopefully cleanse the air of its intolerable bitterness.

She made her way to the cabinet at the left end of the room where the bottles of hard liquors are. A large swig of scotch stung the roof of her mouth. The burn swirled in her mouth until it diminished into a reassuring glow that settled in between her ribcage. Initial pain before dulling comfort. It helped a little.

A strong breeze made its way into the office, the piercing cold had almost knocked away the soothing warmth embracing her entire body. But Lena felt herself melt into the body pressed firmly behind her. She almost choked on her own saliva, because as much as it felt like Kara, it couldn't have been.

And if it wasn’t Kara, it was someone who wanted to cause her harm. She imagined being swept off her feet by this kidnapper where they'd keep her in a damp, rancid-smelling underground chamber and demand a hefty ransom from her family, which would end up in her being left for dead since the people who could actually help her were locked behind bars.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist, Lena breathed deeply, lifting an arm and bracing herself for the impact that would follow after knocking this intruder out with her elbow. Time to put self-defense class into good use.

A scarcely formed silhouette formed on the reflective wall in front of her. And it looked too identical to the one etched in her mind. The blue sleeves that crept around the waist were the only confirmation she needed. 

It felt like ache and grief at first. The Luthor felt herself being squeezed tightly, then it felt like desire and affection. Lena fought hard to keep extremely still although her body was trembling and her heart fluttered like a hummingbird, afraid that any movement or sound would cause the superhero to flee, just like a young deer in the wild. 

But little did she know that her pounding heart and shallow breaths sounded like a lion’s roar in Kara’s ears. Kara buried her face into the dark hair cascading past Lena’s ear; she inhaled so deeply that it was almost invasive.

The hero needed this. To feel Lena close again. It felt wrong but Lena was like a drug, a stimulant triggering the release of endorphins. And quitting cold turkey had made Kara understand the true meaning of insanity. Perhaps one day she wouldn't find herself tangled in the vines of addiction. Perhaps one day she wouldn't have to medicate.

“Don’t leave.” Lena had no choice but to speak when she felt Kara loosening her grip around her. It seemed to have caused some hesitation within the hero. Strong, contemplative arms clung for a while longer.

Then, the room returned to how it was minutes ago, bleak and suffocating. Kara was like the wind, coming and going without a sound, but still succeeded at leaving evidence of her brief presence. It still smelled like floral-scented shampoo, it also smelled like the sky. Lena patiently waited for any grain of sadness to dissipate naturally with the rousing scent. 

With immaculate timing – her mobile phone burst to live. It was a video call from Jack. “Hi, Jack. You're early, our call isn’t for another two hours.” Lena answered. 

It was Jack, all right – prim and proper, dressed in a nice dress shirt with a loose button. He sat there, motionless and unreadable. His callous gaze pierced through the screen as if he was looking at something miles away. 

“Jack?” Lena thought they were experiencing some technical problems – ironic, for a call between two tech geeks. 

“I left him alone for a couple of months and he went to get a girlfriend.” A woman stepped into the frame. Lena had never seen this woman before. She looked businessy, probably one of Jack’s colleagues. But her expression scowled with something that looked like jealousy and it wasn’t difficult to infer that Jack might’ve had another woman.

“You are?” Lena’s jaw stiffened and her glare intensified.

“I am Beth Breen.” She pushed Jack away on his roller chair with such disrespect. Lena felt the first sparks of anger coursing through her veins. “Business partner and CFO, surely you’ve heard of me?”

Twenty seconds into the call and the Luthor already felt an urgent need to slap the smugness out this woman’s face. Lena knew Jack had a business partner, no names were mentioned because he’d assured time and again that he still called all the shots. 

“Jack said you weren’t all that much involved in the project. So what do you want?” Lena's words cut back. “And what happened to Jack?”

Beth laughed an evil and diabolical laugh. She dragged Jack back into the frame and appeared to push something on a tiny controller. The soul in Jack’s eyes shimmered back to live, as though Beth had actually activated a robot of artificial intelligence. It was horrific. Jack looked around before focusing on the woman on his screen.

“Lena! That’s strange, I don’t reme-“ Beth caressed Jack’s shoulder with both hands to let him know that she was there as well, “Oh, Lena I would like to introduce you to Beth-”

Jack froze again. 

“Ya-da ya-da, there’s no need for a second introduction, Jack.” Beth set the controller down, now that she was done with it. 

She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. Lena started to break out in a cold sweat when she realized that this malevolent, vindictive creature who called herself Jack’s business partner, possessed the ability to control the man with God knows that technology. 

“You see, our dear Jack was so caught up in saving the world that he injected himself with his own nanotech. The nanobots merged with his body, his freewill gone with it. You get the idea, right?”

It felt like a lump in her throat. Lena wanted to speak but all she could do was choke.

“Mind you, I’m not as well versed in the Bio-Med side of things, but getting the nanobots to respond to this little controller was simple enough.” Beth continued, “Thank you, though. I can’t believe you’ve managed to improve the tech. That’s really, _ really _impressive… So, business! Does 80-20 sound good to you? I’m getting 80 of cour-”

“You psychotic bitch.” Lena snapped. Her chair bounced backward as she stood up forcefully. She ended the call and slammed her phone onto her desk. Something cracked but it didn't matter. Pacing around her office, Lena mentally prioritized. The most important thing was to stop this product from making it into the markets, or anyone who gets injected with this poison could suffer under Beth’s control. 

Lena rushed to the door but it wouldn’t budge. “JESS!” Lena screamed at the top of her lungs at the thick doors.

_ Fuck these soundproof walls. _

She pulled her phone out and dialed the number to L Corp, but her signal was jammed. 

_ What the f- _

The TV screen next to her desk powered down and up again, showing static lines and Beth’s voice came through the speakers. “I didn’t think Lena Luthor would be that naive to believe I’d let her off after exposing the truth.”

“I will find you, and I will have you arrested.” Lena retorted with outrage, sparking another vile laugh from the woman behind the speakers.

“I’ll give you three minutes to think about the fabulous life you’ve led thus far. You should have considered taking the 20 percent when I offered. Oh, and forget about writing down your last words because the entire floor will be shredded to pieces.” 

"What? How did you-" The static on the TV disappear, and all she could see was the reflection of a pale, mascara stained face. The look of someone about to face her end. The look of someone who had already given up. 

She felt numb. The kind of numbness that radiates through your entire body when you realize that death is in your immediate future had a way of making the air around you so thin that your lungs constrict. Your tightening throat seems to be the catalyst propelling you to your inevitable end.

It felt different from the car accident. Idling in her last moments gave Lena time to think how much she was going to lose. How much she had lost.

Would Kara come if she screamed? Lena scoffed. After putting the hero through emotional turmoil, all she could think about was calling her for help. 

And the hero would be forced to save the person whom she was feeling these… these encumbering feelings for. She would be burdened by green eyes staring at her longingly, not from affection, but gratitude. She would feel pain. _Again_.

Perhaps Lena deserved to die.

Her heart ached. Regret weighed down on her shoulders until she sank to the floor, lying there motionless, like the worthless prick she was. She should’ve told Kara how much she meant to her. And promise her that they’d figure things out together. Because they were always stronger together.

And instead, the only thing she was going to do is die. Once again, the mighty Lena Luthor had made things worse by disappearing forever, without last words, and leaving the hero alone to deal with this mess. Then, Kara would feel pain. _Again_.

Not only did she deserve to die, but she also belonged in hell.

There was a loud crash. The morose woman didn’t even flinch.

“I heard everything, Lena.” A voice cut the sullen air. Lena sobbed harder. 

“Kar- Supergirl, how- why are y-”

“I’ll answer everything later. Everyone in L Corp is evacuating as we speak. Brainy is working remotely to disable the bomb. Let’s get you out of here.” Kara explained as concisely as she could, given the time constraint. She offered her hand and Lena held it immediately, like a drowning man lunging for a lifebuoy. 

Lena’s knees buckled and Kara was carrying her bridal style. Strong winds caused by Kara’s speed stung her face, but Lena was glad she could feel again. It was Lena’s life that was threatened and almost lost. But it was Kara who seemed wrecked. She can see it in the duller sapphire orbs.

“Kara...” 

“My comms are on,” The hero warned quickly. 

Lena nodded understandingly, “Thank you.” 

“You will never need to thank me, ever.” Kara’s steely eyes stared straight ahead, her voice grim and tender at the same time. It must be how she felt towards the woman in her arms – devotion and affliction.

Thankfully, there we no devasting sounds of explosion by the time they landed on Lena's balcony - the balcony Kara had spent hours basking in the Sun while the Luthor slept it. Bringing a finger to her ear, Kara said 'thank you', most likely to the genius who disabled the explosives. 

Lena was relieved that she didn’t need to go through torturous rounds of paperwork with her insurance agent if L Corp were to be destroyed. The trouble she would have to go through just because of one evil-

“Beth Breen.” Lena uttered.

“We will work with the FBI on this, Lena. She will be prosecuted, I promise.”

“Jack is…” Fresh tears flowed like rivulets down her pale face. And it pained Kara so much to see her cry; to see her crying for someone else. If only she had the power to take it all away. 

“I- I’ll bring you to Jack when we find him.” Kara wiped mascara off of Lena’s face and she felt the trembling woman leaning into her touch.

Kryptonian warmth probably had healing powers. Lena felt like a heater was pressed to her face, drawing all the negative feelings to the surface of her ice-cold skin, where Kara's thumb would wipe and erase until they stopped showing. She closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed as she pleaded internally for Kara to stay. Just for a little while longer. 

And then she thought Kara was psychic when she offered to stay. “Wou- would you like me to stick around?” Perhaps the superhero had learned the ability of mindreading from J’onn.

“No- I mean, I don’t want to impose. You should probably go back to the DEO to help them find-”

“I can fight, I can shoot lasers out of my eyes, and I can see through walls. But I cannot – for the love of Rao – work a computer faster than Brainy’s brain.” 

Finally, a hearty, genuine, chuckle. Kara laughed with Lena like old times and for a brief moment, they’d forgotten why they’d stopped talking to each other. 

Their giggles tapered off, leaving them in a silence that was still comfortable.

"Kara," Lena's voice was soft, "Why did you come by earlier?"

“Lena… I- ”

“Wait. I'm sorry, we don’t have to talk if you aren’t ready.” Lena wanted Kara to call the shots, to do what felt most comfortable to her.

"I- I'm sorry for creeping up on you like that. I felt you flinch." The railing under Kara's palm almost dented. "Also, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was at the roof. Just- just making sure you were really fine before I leave." 

"Thank you," Lena's smile was so soft and disarming. "I miss you, Kara."

_ No, no, no. _

Kara weakened at the words. She willed herself to stay put when the other woman took a small step forward. Her gaze dipped and she turned her face sideways, not being able to see the Luthor eye to eye. 

"You know what, I should be making some rounds." Kara's wavering voice struggled to maintain its conviction. "I'll let you know when we find something."

"Okay." There wasn't anything more Lena could say. She stood there, alone, until it didn't smell like floral-scented shampoo. Until it didn't smell like the sky. 


End file.
